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How doHow to avoid needing dental treatment

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PREVENTION

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Dentistry is different from medicine. So many times, when people are ill and off to the doctor, there is very little they could have done to avoid getting sick. Most dental troubles, on the other hand , are completely preventable.

Three things are needed:-

                                             A sensible diet

                                             Smart toothbrushing

                                             Agents, such as fluoride gel, to harden up the teeth

 

TOOTHBRUSHING

A soft brush cleans better because its bristles are more flexible and capable of reaching into the grooves and creavices around teeth and gums.

A hard brush might seem to be cleaning better but this is an illusion. When the tongue runs over the teeth the smooth surfaces will certainly feel clean but the tongue will not detect all the plaque that is still lurking in the hollows. Use a soft brush but a strong hand.

Brush in three steps:-

1st.  The outer surfaces

2nd. The biting surfaces

3rd.  The inner, tongue-side, surfaces

1.     Start by closing together on the front teeth. This will relax the lips and the cheeks and actually make more room at the back to move the brush freely.

Brush aggressively in large circles and include the edges of the gums.

The gums often bleed and become tender when first brushed. This is a sign of gingivitis, caused by plaque and bacteria. Rather than avoid the gums, bleeding is a sign the gums especially need to be brushed. After a few days their condition will improve dramatically. (For more information see the Newsletter No. 31 on Gum Disease.)

As well as making the gums healthier, brushing their edges will ensure the teeth are cleaner since most plaque collects around their necks.

2.    Open slightly and, using a circular motion, brush the biting surfaces.

3.    Thirdly, clean the inner surfaces, upper and lower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The inside of the lower teeth is probably the most difficult to clean properly because the brush has to angle downwards.

This is easier if the grip on the brush is changed.

Hold the brush across the palm, at a right angle to the forearm, with the thumb on the same side as the fingers.

Raise the elbow up to shoulder height and the brush will naturally turn slightly downwards.

Again, open only slightly and brush strongly in circles.

HARDENING UP THE TEETH

 

Most people know that fluoride in the water has hardened up children’s growing teeth. They don’t often realize that topical fluoride, applied directly onto the teeth, helps prevent decay, for adults as well as children.

Topical fluoride, such a Colgate Gel Kam, may be bought at the chemist.

When adult enamel starts to decay, it loses mineral and its structure reverts to that found in children’s new teeth. Although it is weakened, the enamel becomes amenable to fluoride absorption. Superficial decay can actually be arrested and the damage reversed if it is attended to early enough.

Once or twice a week, add a few drops to the toothpaste, brush in as normal  and then simply spit out rather than rinse. If a film is left on the teeth for a few minutes the fluoride has maximum opportunity to be absorbed into the enamel. Any fluoride that is ingested will be harmlessly excreted.

Children younger than seven should not use the gel. (See The Flip Side of Fluoride.)

Recaldent Tooth Mousse (from the clinic) will likewise strengthen enamel. It is basically a milk extract which is supersaturated with minerals such as calcium and phosphate. ( See Tooth Mousse.)

 

 

 

 

 

CLEANING BETEEN THE TEETH

Dental floss is useful for cleaning between the teeth, even if used only on the front of the mouth.

It should be wrapped securely between the two index fingers, gently popped between the teeth and moved slightly into the gum margin and then removed. There is no need to move it back and forward.

Cleaning between the back teeth is more difficult.

An Interdental Brush, such as a Te Pe Brush,can often be a useful alternative, especially when the gums have receded.

It is used the same way as a tooth pick, being pushed into the space between the teeth near the gums.

 

SEALANTS

Young people’s teeth take a while to harden sufficiently enough to resist plaque acids and the risk of decay. The back molars are especially vulnerable because their grooves and wrinkles readily trap food. It is these hollows which are usually the first to get cavities.

 

A convenient way to apply the mousse is to rub it in with the finger a few times a week.

Even if these products are not absolutely needed, they can be a good ‘insurance policy’ against decay.

A good preventative step is for the dentist to cover the pits with a sealant cement which adheres to the enamel. This keeps the plaque out, smoothes the surface and releases mineral to mature the tooth underneath.

See Newsletter No 28.

Pits are weak and vulnerable. Sealing can prevent decay by keeping out the plaque and rehardening the enamel.

CHILDREN’S TEETH

Caring for children’s teeth is all about prevention.

 

For a good story on the subject see Newsletter No. 29.

The chart is an approximate guide to when children’s teeth come through.

 

There is immense variation, however, so parents should not worry if baby deciduous teeth seem to be erupting at the wrong time.

Gum line

Six year old molar (permanent tooth)