No 1 (June)- Tooth Brushing.

Why do we brush our teeth?
Tooth brushing is carried out to remove the daily build up of plaque, bacteria and food debris that accumulates in the mouth. If the plaque and food deposits are not removed you become susceptible to the following:

1) Dental decay – The bacteria in plaque consume the sugars that we eat and the bi product is an acid that causes dental decay.
2) Gum disease – The bacteria in plaque cause an inflammatory response in the gums. Initially this present as swelling and bleeding of the gums. If left untreated and if oral care does not improve this can progress into a more severe and destructive form of gum disease.
3) Halitosis (bad breath) – Bacteria and food deposits that are not removed will cause bad breath.
4) Staining – stains from certain foods, drinks and cigarette smoking will accumulate if not removed on a daily basis.

Tooth brushing should be carried out twice daily for a minimum of 2 minutes. Brushing techniques vary slightly depending on an electric or a manual tooth brush.

Manual Toothbrushing
Angle the bristles into the area where the tooth and the gum meet, at a 45 degree angle. Brush each tooth individually using a gentle, small round circular movement.

Electric Toothbrushing
Place the head onto the area where the tooth and the gum meet. Allow the rotating action of the head to clean the tooth whilst gently massaging the brush back and forth on one tooth at a time.

Always be systematic with the cleaning. Starting in the same place and following the same path each time eliminates the chance of missing areas. Use bleeding as an indication of any areas that need more cleaning attention.

Bleeding gums is a sign of gum disease and should be addressed by your dental hygienist.

....Next month interdental cleaning.

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