The Rule of 2
of Oral Hygiene
Brush your teeth 2 times a day, for 2 minutes, with at least 2 instruments. The ideal is to clean your teeth after each meal, but since this is often complicated, we recommend that they be thoroughly cleaned at least twice a day.
For this, the technique and type of brushing is important, preferably with an electric brush that is more efficient, and complete the cleaning with an instrument that reaches where brushes do not.
It is also important not to be aggressive as you can damage the gums and do not forget the tongue, which is the "doormat" of the mouth and should be brushed at least once a week.
The indispensable complement
of the toothbrush
The brush does the main cleaning of your mouth, but it doesn't get everywhere. The gaps between the teeth or the spaces left by the receding of the gums are places to which you do not have access and it is very important to complete the cleaning with other instruments, since it is in those areas where cleaning is more complicated and where it begins to form tartar and cavities.
You can use dental floss, an interproximal brush or a dental irrigator, but it is important that your dentist tells you which of them best suits the needs and characteristics of your mouth and explains how to use them so that the cleaning is effective and does not damage neither your teeth nor your gums.
Mouthwashes, the third complement,
but not for all people
Mouthwashes are another good complement to cleaning, but they must be prescribed by a professional based on your characteristics and under supervision so that they do not cause problems, because not everyone should use them even if they think it is appropriate.
Rinses are necessary when you have a gum problem such as gingivitis or periodontitis, or if you are at high risk of caries to add fluoride to the enamel surface. And they should always be used under the supervision of the dentist because their continued use can cause side effects such as changes in taste and staining of the teeth and tongue.
In addition, and very importantly, if fluoride mouthwashes are used by children, it should be done under parental supervision to avoid ingestion. Something much more common than we might think.
avoid food
and sugary drinks
Sugar is the intimate enemy of dental enamel, the first layer of protection of our teeth.
There are many products that contain sugar, not only those related to a bad diet such as soft drinks, industrial pastries or sweets. Mango contains a lot of fructose and honey a lot of dextrose, which are healthy for our body but whose sugars damage tooth enamel.
Therefore, before 20 minutes from the intake of any sugary product, it is necessary to brush your teeth. Because that is the time that the bacteria in the mouth need to ferment the sugar and create lactic acid, which is responsible for producing the first lesion in the enamel that will become cavities.
avoid tobacco,
yes, also for the teeth
Tobacco also produces problems at the oral level. In several senses. On the one hand, the mouth's ability to react to infections, for example of the gums, decreases. In addition, it reduces the healing capacity of wounds that, although we do not realize it, many micro-wounds occur throughout the day in the mouth.
It also has an important xerostomic effect, that is, it reduces salivation by up to 40%, which implies an increased risk of caries since saliva produces a neutralizing effect that protects against caries. Therefore, quitting smoking is also important for the present and future health of your mouth.
visit your dentist
at least 2 times a year
There is a popular "law" that says you have to visit the dentist once a year, and reality says that, in most cases, it is once every several years.
Both situations are wrong. The visit to the dentist should be made at least twice a year and, if you are in the right hands, the visits will be made according to your needs. That can be once a year, two, three or four. It depends on many variables and they are different in each person.
The problem with not going for a check-up is that, no matter how careful we think we have been, the accumulated tartar is important since it is also produced inside the gums and is not visible. Also that bleeding occurs that we do not appreciate or that sensitivity to cold is increased, which, being progressive, does not sound any alarm. Therefore, a complete review every 6 months is very important to anticipate problems and avoid major problems in the future.
