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Is it really worth all the time and effort involved in properly taking care of our teeth and gums that our local dentists at Eastbourne Dental Centre make out? The answer is definitely YES!
Although there is a genetic predisposition to dental diseases such as dental decay/holes and gum disease the greatest causative factor here is poor HOME CARE. And in the case of dental decay DIET also plays a significant role.
The health of both our teeth and gums play a huge role in the health of our bodies as a whole, so why wouldn’t we look after them as we would the rest of our bodies? The following are a few hints and facts about how to best care for your teeth and gums.
The key to home care obviously lies in not only regular but also effective brushing of your teeth. There are so many types of brushes both manual and electric on the market these days that it is generally just finding one that feels right for you as an individual, as every mouth and its owner are so very different.
As with all toothbrushes it is the way that it is used that makes the difference. It is important to strive for the happy medium of not ‘over’ or ‘under’ brushing. Yes, it is true you can over brush and cause damage to both your teeth and gums if your technique is incorrect or if you are very heavy handed with your brushing (or using a brush that is too hard). If you have concerns in this area ask you dentist at your next visit.
In general most dentists would recommend a soft manual or an electric toothbrush.
Electric toothbrushes have come up trumps in studies of effectively controlling plaque and hence dental disease in our mouths.
All the numerous toothpastes on the market in general are not a lot different from one another. Most contain fluoride, which gives that important added protective factor to fight dental decay. So this is a very important factor for both adults and children alike. However very young children are more likely to swallow toothpaste inadvertently and too much of this can be a concern when their teeth are still developing, so until the age where this can be prevented it is preferable to use only a smear of toothpaste.
After brushing the toothpaste does in fact linger and keep on working so to ensure maximum beneficial effect here as the saying goes– “spit out don’t rinse out”.
There are also some very good toothpastes that help in the long term overall reduction of generalised sensitivity. However be warned sensitive teeth should be checked by a professional to identify the cause of your personal sensitivity which can be due to numerous reasons eg. Decay, receding gums… all of which require specific attention.
The mundane chore of flossing our teeth pays back tenfold with the increased benefit to the health of our teeth and gums. It is an absolute essential in oral health care, at your next dental visit ask for a demonstration to ensure you are doing this effectively, as we are all only too aware that there is a certain knack in mastering such a habit.
Again there are numerous flosses on the market but the key is not in the type of floss but in the technique. There are also several aids to help if you find flossing © Eastbourne Dental 2005 particularly difficult, especially reaching to the back of your mouth. These aids help hold the floss to enable flossing with one hand.
There are of course lots of other products that help clean in between your teeth eg. Interdental brushes/sticks, water picks… as good as these are they still do not eliminate the need to floss.
There are many mouthwashes available on the market also. Generally in a healthy and well cared for mouth this is not an essential. However if there are specific concerns for example, high decay rate, gum problems… your dentist may suggest a mouthwash to help in bringing these concerns under control.
Of course all of our mouths have different needs and hence require different methods of care, we all however benefit similarly from the regular added adjunct of care that the scaling and polishing Eastbourne Dental Centre offers at your regular check-up. This is sometimes as regularly as three monthly but generally six to twelve monthly.
It acts to remove any hard ‘build-up’ and stains that we cannot do at home in order to keep out mouths in optimum health.
So for any dental enquires and appointments contact the Eastbourne Dental Centre, cnr Marine Pde and Rimu St, Eastbourne, ph. 5627506.
