|
ORAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE
& BRUSHING, FLOSSING
| When
to brush?
|
Teeth get dirty mainly from the "food paste" that sticks
to them while we eat. So it is best if this "food paste" can be brushed
off immediately after having food, each time. In case you are unable
to do this, the entire day's "dirt" must be cleaned off from teeth at
least before going to bed at night. (Why keep it on the teeth throughout
the night while you are sleeping?)
In the morning, brush to fresh up your breath. |
| When to floss? |
Flossing , like brushing should be done ideally after
every meal.
It is a must to floss at least once , before going to bed,
it does not make sense to keep the dirt till morning.
|
| Why Floss at all? |
Flossing is done to clean the "in between" areas between teeth.
Floss is a very thin thread, which goes into the inter dental spaces
and removes the dirt. Since the bristles of tooth brush are too thick
to go into these areas, floss is the only means to clean these "in
between" areas. |
|
|
| How
to brush correctly?
|
Since teeth have outwardly curved surfaces, mere to and fro movement
of the tooth brush does not remove dirt effectively.
The bristles of the brush must get into the concavities between
teeth, as far as possible. For this, hold the bristles gently touching
the gums at an angle, and roll or twist the brush along the length
of the tooth.
( From the gums, twist downward for the upper teeth and twist
upward for the lower teeth.) Clean the outer and inner surfaces of
all teeth in this manner.To and fro or circular movement can be used
to clean the chewing surfaces.
|
| When to get a scaling done? |
It depends on how fast calculus (hard dirt) gets built up on your
teeth. If you are able to prevent calculus build-up with effective
brushing and flossing, you need only routine check ups to make sure
the teeth are clean, and not scaling. Scaling can be done to remove
stains too. |
|
|
Why
brush at all? |
A.-To remove the sticky "food residue "from the teeth, we need to use
a mechanical aid. Tooth brush serves as this aid when we brush.
A mouth wash can not remove sticky particles from the teeth.
|
|
|
How
to Floss effectively. |
If you are using loose floss, cut out about 12 inches( one foot) ,twist
one end each on the index fingers (or index and middle fingers ) of
both the hands.
Use the thumbs to keep the remaining floss taut and to guide it in
between teeth. A floss holder can be used instead of the fingers
or floss that come attached to holders too can be used.
After guiding the floss in, gently slide the floss on the sides of
both the teeth to clean them, taking care not to push it too far into
the gums.
|
|
|
The
right tooth brush for you
|
A.- As long as you do not have any gum problems or sensitive teeth,
you can use any tooth brush. However, brushes with bristles of "medium
hardness" are recommended for regular use.
If the necks of your teeth are worn off, you may have to use one with
"soft" bristles.
And brushes with "hard" bristles are better for some areas where plaque
tends to accumulate more..
|
|
|
|
|
