What is oral hygiene at the dentist. What is Oral Hygiene? How to choose the right hygiene products

What is proper oral hygiene?
By following the rules of oral hygiene, the mouth looks healthy, and the breath is fresh and pleasant. It means that:

Teeth look clean and free of tartar
Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when brushing or flossing
Bad breath is not a permanent problem.

If your gums hurt and bleed while brushing or flossing, and if your mouth smells bad, see your dentist. These symptoms may be a sign of a disease.

Your dentist or dental hygienist will help you learn how to maintain proper oral hygiene and point out areas of your mouth that require special attention when brushing and flossing.

What are the methods for maintaining proper oral hygiene?
The most important condition for healthy teeth and gums is maintaining proper oral hygiene. Healthy teeth are not just a component of an attractive appearance and good health. It is also a guarantee of good nutrition and intelligible speech. The health of your body as a whole largely depends on the state of the oral cavity.

Daily prophylaxis, including proper brushing and flossing, can prevent the development of oral disease, and these procedures are less painful, costly and problematic than treating lesions that could be stopped at an early stage.

Between regular visits to the dentist, each of us should follow simple recommendations that significantly reduce the risk of developing caries, periodontitis and other oral diseases. These include:

Brush twice a day with a toothbrush and clean the interdental spaces daily with dental floss
Eat a balanced diet by limiting intermediate snacks between main meals
Use oral care products that contain fluoride, including fluoride toothpaste
Rinse your mouth with fluoride rinses as recommended by your dentist.
If you live in an area where the water is not fluoridated, make sure your child under 12 years of age consumes fluoride-fortified water or a fluoride supplement.

How to Use Dental Floss Properly

Take a piece of floss about 45 cm long and use a clean section of 3-5 cm each time to clean the tooth.	Clean the interdental spaces with gentle movements, following the contours of the gums.	Remember to clean the surface of the teeth below the gum line, while avoiding sudden flossing movements.

If you dream of having healthy gums and a Hollywood smile, proper oral hygiene should be an integral part of personal care. How to care for the oral cavity, what hygiene products to choose for this, it is worth understanding in more detail.

The doctors of ancient Egypt argued that the state of a person's health should be judged by his teeth. If you properly care for them, monitor the condition of the gums, you can significantly reduce the number of trips to the dentist, which will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the elasticity of the wallet. Oral hygiene should be carried out regularly and throughout the day.

This includes the following procedures:

brushing teeth and tongue with toothpaste and toothbrush;
rinsing the mouth after each meal;
cleaning the spaces between the teeth;
preventive examination by a dentist.

What should be the correct oral hygiene? Each person is simply required to know the rules listed below and to teach their children to this from an early age.

Teeth should be brushed twice a day.
Change your toothbrush at least once every three months.
Responsible approach to the choice of toothpaste.
Do not forget to clean the tongue, cheeks and gums from plaque.
A preventive examination by a dentist should take place at least once every six months.
After each meal, use a mouthwash, and if this is not possible, keep chewing gum in stock.
Do not forget to clean the gaps between the teeth from the remnants of food with the help of threads (floss).
You need to brush your teeth for at least three minutes, since the fluoride in the paste begins to work three minutes after brushing.

The choice of toothpaste is very important. The current cosmetology and dentistry offer a huge selection of them. These are hygienic, therapeutic, saline, anti-inflammatory, desensitizing, whitening and anti-plaque pastes. Consider their features. Hygienic pastes are used exclusively for cleaning plaque from tooth enamel and for freshening breath. They can be allowed to use children from six years. Therapeutic and prophylactic pastes fight caries. They contain fluorine and calcium, the combination of which strengthens tooth enamel. Anti-inflammatory pastes should be used if the gums are bleeding or inflamed. The composition of such funds includes extracts of medicinal herbs. Desensitizing pastes are used with increased sensitivity of teeth to external stimuli. Salt improve blood circulation in the gums and remove a small plaque on the teeth. But in order to prevent plaque from forming, pastes with anti-plaque properties are used. The cost of these pastes is completely different. But it is wrong to think that the more expensive the pasta, the better it is. For more than a dozen years, you can see a large selection of tooth powders on the shelves of pharmacies. They are much cheaper, but they do their job no worse than expensive pastes. In some cases, even better, because they contain only natural ingredients.

Equally important is the choice of toothbrush. It all depends on the sensitivity of the gums.

According to the degree of rigidity, all brushes are divided into the following types:

soft (for sensitive gums and for children);
medium hardness;
the most rigid (for removable dentures).

In our time of technology, such a thing as an electric toothbrush has appeared. It is convenient because with the help of its motor it makes 50 rotations per minute, and this allows you to achieve high results in cleaning your teeth and gums from plaque and tartar. But most of it is collected in the spaces between the teeth. A simple brush or electric brush is not able to clean these places in the mouth with its bristles. Threads - flosses ideally cope with this task. They are made from silk or synthetic fibers. Dental floss is impregnated with special compounds that destroy pathogenic microbes between the teeth.

It is very important to teach children about oral hygiene from birth. From the first days of life, the remnants of milk and milk mixtures should be removed with a cotton pad dipped in warm boiled water. When the first baby teeth appear, the baby must be taught to use toothpaste and toothbrush every day. To do this, you should purchase a soft children's toothbrush and hygienic paste for children from 1 to 3 years old. The process of brushing teeth can be turned into an exciting game, which will undoubtedly bring pleasure to the baby.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with oral hygiene rules? According to dentists, 95% of all oral diseases are caused by neglect of teeth and gums. After all, not everyone can boast that, in addition to toothpaste, he also uses rinse aid and threads (floss). And what can I say, many seek help from a dentist only when the problem has already made itself felt.

Caries, tartar, periodontitis, gingivitis and stomatitis are just a small list of diseases that can result from an unscrupulous approach to oral hygiene. Yes, and it is very unpleasant to contemplate the smile of an interlocutor with rotten teeth. But the worst thing is that such negligence often leads to tooth loss! And in conclusion, we should recall the words of the well-known washbasin from Korney Chukovsky's fairy tale "Moydodyr": "We must, we must brush our teeth in the mornings and evenings!".

Fresh breath, whiter teeth and pinker gums are the result of a complete oral care routine that includes personal and professional cleaning. The first is performed at home every day, the second - by dental hygienists every six months (for preventive purposes) or according to indications (dental deposits, bad breath, bleeding gums).

Means for personal hygiene of the oral cavity

Teeth and the spaces between them should be brushed twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. After cleaning, it is necessary to use special rinses. For complete care you need to have:

Oral hygiene after tooth extraction

Oral care in such cases has its own characteristics: it is very important to prevent inflammation of the socket of the extracted tooth. On the first day after the procedure, you can not rinse your mouth intensively - instead, antiseptic baths are recommended.

In order not to injure the hole while brushing your teeth, you need to use a soft brush.

Stages of professional hygiene

Determination of the hygiene index. The dentist treats the teeth with a special preparation that stains plaque, thereby indicating areas where deposits have accumulated.
Removal of tartar and pigmented plaque. To do this, doctors use an ultrasonic scaler and / or Air Flow apparatus.
Polishing teeth. A mandatory procedure necessary to prevent the reappearance of dental plaque.
remineralizing therapy. Teeth are treated with varnishes containing calcium or fluorine. It helps to cope with hypersensitivity, protects against caries and strengthens enamel.

The procedure for removing tartar cannot be called pleasant, but all stages of professional hygiene are painless.

Methods for removing dental deposits: ultrasound and Air Flow

Professional hygienists use two methods to remove tartar and soft plaque:

ultrasonic;
sandblasting.

Ultrasonic cleaning is excellent for tough deposits. A special apparatus delivers ultrasonic vibrations and a liquid (usually distilled water) to the surface of the tooth, under the action of which solid deposits are chipped off.

To get rid of soft plaque between the teeth and in other hard-to-reach places, Air Flow technology is used. Under pressure, the device transmits a water-air jet with an abrasive mixture. As a result, the plaque softens and gently scrapes off. This method of professional hygiene is a salvation for smokers, coffee lovers, tea lovers.

Professional hygiene during pregnancy

Teeth cleaning is not an invasive procedure, and therefore it is not contraindicated for pregnant women. Moreover, preventive oral hygiene will help prevent diseases of the teeth and gums, which are so undesirable for expectant mothers.

Children's oral hygiene

Hard plaque in children, as a rule, does not form, but soft plaque can easily provoke caries. Just like adults, they need professional hygiene. The smallest cleaning is carried out in a gentle mode (with soft abrasive brushes), older children - using Air Flow technology.

The cost of comprehensive oral hygiene

The average price for professional oral hygiene services is 1,500 rubles in Moscow, 1,400 rubles in St. Petersburg, and 2,300 rubles in Nizhny Novgorod.

The final cost depends both on the condition of the patient's teeth and on the methods used to remove deposits. So, in Moscow they charge 126 rubles for ultrasonic cleaning (for one tooth), for cleaning with the Air Flow method - 2800 rubles, for fluoridation - 650 rubles. The prices of the same procedures in St. Petersburg are 305 rubles (per tooth), 2420 rubles and 1750 rubles, respectively. In Nizhny Novgorod - 80 (per tooth), 1500 and 200 rubles.

The quality of professional oral hygiene, of course, depends on the qualifications of the dentist and the equipment he uses. On our website you can get information about clinics where such procedures are successfully practiced.

Proper oral hygiene will help to avoid the development of caries, the appearance of an unpleasant odor and will help maintain healthy teeth for a long time. In the case of insufficiently effective or irregular care, plaque forms, food crumbs remain in the interdental spaces, which eventually decompose. This leads to the development of inflammation and deterioration of the appearance of the teeth.

What is included in the rules of oral hygiene

There is a stereotype that the choice is expensive and is the main condition for compliance. This is not entirely true.

There is no doubt that the selection is very important, however, the desired result can only be achieved by an integrated approach to.

Oral hygiene is usually divided into two components - individual and.

Each of them is important for preventing the threat of dental diseases.

Individual events include:

Cleansing the mouth after every meal.
Interdental care.

Experts recommend that the most suitable time for this process is morning and evening. After the teeth, it is also necessary to carry out using a scraper brush or rinse aid and deodorant for the oral cavity.

You can also carry out hygiene after dinner, but not everyone has time for this due to being busy, so it will be enough to rinse the mouth with water or a special one.

How to take good care of your teeth and gums at home

The classic method of oral care is carried out using toothpaste and a brush, but high-quality cleaning of the interdental space is not possible, so you should add to the set.

The choice of dental equipment is undoubtedly important, however, without good brushing technique, the result will be negligible. Not everyone knows how to carry out this procedure correctly. There are various techniques for brushing your teeth and many argue about the correct position of the brush and other details. Among the basic rules, dentists recommend adhering to the following:

Hold the brush at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the gums and teeth.
The first dentition for cleaning should be the lower one, and then proceed to cleaning the upper one.
To prevent injury to the gums or enamel, it is recommended not to exert strong pressure on the brush.
Proper cleaning begins with the front teeth, gradually moving towards the back.
The chewing surface should be cleaned in a circular motion.
The duration of brushing should be at least 3 minutes.
After the procedure, make a light massage of the gums with soft circular movements with a brush.

Professional hygiene procedures in dentistry

Professional hygiene procedures include an assessment of existing problems and follow-up of stones. If necessary, local anesthesia may be used.

First of all, the specialist uses to remove soft and hard deposits from the surfaces of the teeth and in the space between them. During the procedure will not be damaged. The next step, the doctor will process the subgingival spaces using hand instruments.

In the case of pigmented plaque, which was obtained as a result of drinking coffee, certain medicines, tea, or is the cause of smoking, an additional ultrasound procedure is used using the apparatus.

After the next step is to polish the enamel. This procedure is necessary to protect the teeth from bacteria and plaque. To perform, polishing pastes are used, which are applied using nozzles in the form of brushes and rubber bands. Strips will be used where the teeth meet.

The next step, the specialist applies to the enamel. This tool is necessary for removal due to saturation of the enamel with fluorine ions.

After completing all the procedures, the specialist will give recommendations on maintaining the cleanliness of the teeth.

30-40% of plaque remains on the surface of the teeth even after careful self-care. Experts recommend that you complete the procedure twice a year.

Teaching proper oral hygiene to children

Usually, children are not supportive of brushing their teeth, as they perceive the mouth as an intimate area and do not allow adults to interfere in it using a brush.

Parents need to monitor and clean after each meal. It is important to ensure that the baby develops a habit in the future.

It is recommended from the age of two, while making sure that the child does not swallow the paste. A paste with a pleasant smell and taste should be used. Its content should contain calcium, and after the execution of 3 years - fluorine. Ideally, it should contain sorbitol and xylitol, these components protect against caries and add flavor.

In the process of moving the brush, all movements should be sweeping, starting from the gums and to the edges of the teeth, and then out. Attention should be paid to the entire oral cavity, for this it is necessary to clean the rows from the upper right edge and end with the lower one.

Even at the age of 10, it will be difficult for a child to take care of oral hygiene on his own, for this reason, parents will have to bear responsibility for dental health.

Dentists' advice on choosing personalized oral care products

Dentists advise choosing personal hygiene products according to the following rules:

. It is selected individually, when choosing, you need to pay attention to the convenience of gripping the handle and size. Thus, with bleeding gums, it is recommended to use. The size of the handle should not be small so that you can freely control the device and not harm the gums and teeth. The brush should have rubber elements to prevent slipping. It needs to be changed every 3 months. The best solution would be to give preference to an electronic device, but with excessive tooth mobility, and some other pathologies, it cannot be used.
. Can be used in medical and. In the first case, it is selected by the doctor individually, and in the second case, it can be purchased independently for effective oral hygiene. Toothpaste should have a pleasant aroma, appearance and taste, a cooling, cleansing and disinfecting effect, have a preventive effect and be harmless.
. It is necessary for cleaning the interdental spaces, it has several varieties: round, flat, waxed and without it. The thread is selected depending on the distance between the teeth. When choosing, you should pay attention to the absence of fiber delamination, the presence of a pleasant aroma, the softness of the thread.
. caries prevention, preference should be given to products based on sodium fluoride or aminofluoride, the concentration of fluoride in them should be about 250 ppm. If you have or have other problems, it is worth consulting with your dentist about the best option.

Proper care of the oral cavity allows you to maintain not only the health of the teeth, but also their appearance. No one will be decorated with plaque and an unpleasant aroma. Also, following the rules of hygiene will help save money, because in this case, trips to the dentist will be significantly reduced. It will be enough to visit a doctor twice a year for prevention and for the selection of individual care products.

A huge number of different microorganisms live in the human oral cavity. They settle on the teeth, gums, tongue and buccal mucosa. Colonies of microbes and their waste products lead to a variety of dental problems. In addition, getting into the body, bacteria provoke the development of pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.

To balance the ecosystem and improve overall health, regular and high-quality oral hygiene is essential. The high effectiveness of such a procedure depends on the correctness of its implementation and some other nuances.

The value of oral hygiene lies in the prevention of major dental diseases, as well as in maintaining an attractive appearance of a person. By following the rules for holding events, you can achieve significant results, including:

the formation of strong teeth;
destruction of pathogenic microflora;
prevention of caries and periodontal development;
prevention of infectious diseases of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract;
snow-white smile;
fresh breath;
savings on dental services.

As medical practice has shown, people with a weakened immune system and smokers are especially in dire need of hygienic care.

Types of oral hygiene

To maintain the microflora of the oral cavity, in which the teeth and oral mucosa will always be healthy and aesthetic, there are a number of hygiene measures. They are divided into two main types: personal hygiene and professional treatments.

In the first case, oral care is carried out independently at home. According to the recommendations of dentists, the procedure should be started from an early age, when the first teeth appear in children.

If cleaning the oral cavity at home does not bring the desired result, the second method is used. Professional cleaning is carried out in a medical facility by a dentist.

Each method requires compliance with a number of rules. Therefore, in order for the procedures to be highly effective, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.

Rules for hygiene procedures

In order for personal oral hygiene to ensure thorough cleaning and create an attractive smile, it is necessary to purchase special cleaning products in advance, and then follow the rules of events.

Oral care is usually carried out with the help of special cleaning products, including:

Toothbrush for cleaning teeth, cheeks, tongue.
Toothpaste for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Brushes for removing food debris in the interdental gaps.
Rinse aid to complete the procedure.

When it is not possible to brush your teeth, dental floss is used. To eliminate bad breath and small food particles after eating, it is recommended to use sugar-free chewing gum.

Teeth cleaning rules

The rules of oral hygiene depend on the choice of cleaning agent. Using a toothbrush, the procedure is as follows:

The cleaning attribute is rinsed with running water.
A small amount of toothpaste is applied to the bristly surface of the brush.
At an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the gum, the attribute is located in the open mouth.

The upper teeth are cleaned in a smooth, circular motion from top to bottom.
The lower jaw is cleaned from the bottom up.

These manipulations are carried out within 3 minutes. After this time, the toothbrush is turned over and the tongue is cleaned with a rubber nozzle. At the end of the procedure, the oral cavity is rinsed with warm water or a special rinse solution.

When using dental floss, proper oral hygiene is carried out in this order:

For a one-time procedure, dental floss is cut 40-50 cm long.
The thread with smooth movements seeps into the interdental gaps.
Having reached the surface of the gums, the thread is directed in the opposite direction in a similar way without sudden movements.

Having cleared one interdental gap in this way, they move on to another. In this case, for each section, the thread must be clean.

If the above hygiene measures do not get rid of plaque deposits on the teeth, dentists recommend using professional cleaning.

Carrying out professional cleaning

Oral hygiene with professional help is carried out to eliminate accumulations of soft plaque, which eventually develops into tartar. With the formation of a hard stone, a person loses an attractive appearance. In addition, against the background of this pathology, concomitant diseases of the teeth develop.

To prevent these negative phenomena, the dental hygienist prescribes measures using medical instruments and special equipment.

Before proceeding with professional intervention, the dentist must first carefully examine the patient. Medical oral hygiene methods depend on the following diagnostic indicators: caries intensity index, hygienic index, assessment of the state of the mucous membrane, type of bite, the presence of dental pathologies.

After assessing the condition of the oral cavity, the specialist must form a responsible attitude towards the prescribed procedure in the patient. It is important that a person understands that medical oral hygiene can completely get rid of periodontal disease and improve the external condition of the teeth.

Carrying out procedures

The medical complex of measures for the removal of persistent dental neoplasms can be carried out by a therapeutic, orthodontic or surgical method. Each event is held by a dentist in a medical office.

In order for professional oral hygiene to go smoothly, before it begins, the patient is prescribed to rinse the nasopharynx with an antiseptic solution.

For major operations, anesthetic drugs may be used, in the form of sprays or injections. The complex of professional cleaning includes several stages.

Removal of plaque and tartar. For this, an ultrasonic device is used. In some cases, manual mechanical cleaning with dental instruments is used.

Removal of pigmented plaque. A popular tool in cleaning teeth from soft plaque is the AirFlow device. As a result of the pressure of the ejected water, air and soda, the enamel becomes 2 shades lighter.

Tooth polishing. This method uses professional products that contain zirconium microparticles.

Fluoridation. This method involves strengthening the enamel with fluorine-containing gel trays. The procedure lasts only a minute, but during this time the enamel has time to be saturated with fluoride ions, due to which it becomes stronger.

Fissure sealing. This method involves composite resins that are used to fill the grooves of the teeth on the chewing side with a special tool.

Many patients neglect professional procedures, as well as the actual visit to the dentist. However, this position is fundamentally wrong.

By contacting a specialist in a timely manner, you can avoid dangerous pathologies of the oral cavity, as well as receive recommendations for daily care, so that individual oral hygiene brings significant benefits.

In medical practice, there are certain rules for the technique of cleaning the mouth. Their observance does not require special efforts and difficulties.

To maintain the microflora in the mouth and the strength of the teeth, it is necessary to eat a balanced diet of dairy and legumes.
For brushing your teeth, it is better to choose a brush with synthetic bristles.
The cleaning attribute should be replaced every 3-4 months.
Cleaning the mouth with a toothbrush and paste is carried out 2 times a day. The first procedure is carried out in the morning, the second before bedtime.

Different ways of oral hygiene should include cleaning the tongue and gums. This will be a good means of preventing periodontal disease.
After each procedure, the toothbrush must be thoroughly rinsed with running water.
Interdental spaces are recommended to be cleaned after each meal. To do this, you can use dental floss or special wooden sticks.

Monitoring the condition of the oral cavity is best left to the dentist.
Occupational hygiene should be carried out 1-2 times a year by a qualified specialist.
For hard-to-reach areas of the mouth, it is advisable to purchase specialized tools, such as a brush and floss.
Do not neglect mouthwashes either. Their regular use contributes not only to fresh breath, but also to the strength of the enamel structure.

Failure to follow the rules of oral hygiene, at best, will lead to bad breath and the development of caries. But, as medical practice has shown, such neglect will have more serious consequences.

A large accumulation of harmful bacteria in the absence of hygiene procedures or their improper implementation contributes to the development of the following pathologies:

. This is an inflammatory process of the gums, affecting the alveolar process of the jaw. Pathology is accompanied by putrid odor from the mouth, bleeding gums during individual brushing of teeth, itching and a negative perception of the taste of food.
Candidiasis. Such an inflammatory process develops when bacteria of the Candida order enter the mouth. In pathology, swelling of the oropharynx and a white coating on the tongue are observed. In the advanced form of the disease, erosions may appear on the surface of the oral mucosa.

. This pathology affects periodontal tissues. Symptoms of periodontitis include the formation of hard stone, tooth mobility, and the presence of purulent or serous discharge.

. Such damage to the lining of the mouth occurs due to the multiplication of infectious microorganisms. Once in the human body, bacteria destroy the surface structure of the gums, tongue and cheeks. Subsequently, ulcers appear on the affected areas.

As you can see, each pathology develops due to the entry of harmful bacteria into the oral cavity, where there is an optimal habitat for their growth and reproduction. Only careful daily oral care will help correct this phenomenon.

Following the recommendations of specialists for individual procedures, as well as regular visits to the dentist, will help maintain a clean and healthy oral cavity, as well as ensure fresh breath and a snow-white smile.