Dental hygiene

Dental hygiene is taken for granted because many of us do not know the facts about it. A good oral health is required for a good general health. There are a number of infections that are caused by poor dental hygiene, which involves not only the mouth but also respiratory, cardiac and gastrointestinal systems.

Facts about dental hygiene:

1. A complete dental hygiene can be achieved by spending about 3-5 minutes every morning and night. A complete dental hygiene means brushing the teeth, cleaning the tongue and gums, flossing and gargling.

2. It is proved that a good and healthy teeth can be maintained by using soft bristle tooth brush with fluoride paste. Teeth mush be brushed very gently in rotatory motion to avoid destruction of enamel and for the removal of food particles between the teeth.

3. Surveys state that only 35% of the American population know the exact technique of brushing and floss everyday which is the main cause of poor oral health.

4. Dental caries/decay, dental plaque, gingivitis, trench mouth, gingivostomatitis and periodentitis are some of the dental conditions that can be prevented by good dental hygiene.

5. Tooth decay is common in children due to their desire for chocolates and sweets which can be prevented by just making them brush or atleast rinse their mouth after they take them. This can even prevent them from losing their permanent tooth in later days.

6. About 90% of any dental infections can be prevented by just brushing the teeth before going to bed.

7. Choosing food is also very important for good oral hygiene. Fermentable carbohydrates and bacteria produces certain acids which dissolves the tooth enamel, thereby causing dental problems. Placing extremely cold foods like ice creams over the teeth or drinking cold sodas also has bad affects on the teeth.

8. Poor dental hygiene is the root cause for certain infections of the throat such as infective tonsilitis, many upper respiratory tract infections and also for cardiac conditions like rheumatic endocarditis/fever.

9. Dental hygiene shows the general health status. A dry and coated tongue indicates dehydration, bad breath indicates some infection of the throat or chest, sores in the tongue or buccal cavity indicate fever, vitamin deficiency and decreased immunity, white coated tongue may indicate candidiasis.

10. Poor dental hygiene not only indicates the problems of our body but also complicates many conditions like diabetes, pregnancy (by producing low birth weight and pre-term babies), worsens respiratory diseases, increases the risk of heart disease, causes strokes and heart attacks.

11. Visiting a dentist regularly is not going to do any good for your tooth unless you take good care of your teeth. But regular check ups will definitely spot the problems at an early stage and prevent complications.

12. Smoking, chewing tobacco and alcoholism causes poor oral hygiene and cancers of the oral cavity.

13. Smoking tobacco is one of the reasons for the tooth to fall at an early age because it destroys the supporting tissue that connects the teeth to the bone.

14. Milk and milk products not only give Calcium and potassium to mineralize the teeth but also increase the pH of saliva which protects the teeth from direct exposure to acids.

15. Chewing gums reduces bad breath and also cleans the gaps between the teeth.