Prevention is better than cure, goes the old adage – and this rings especially true for oral care. Of course we all know we should be having regular dental checkups, but what exactly needs to be done to ensure every nook and cranny of your mouth is in good shape?
It’s time for a change in routine
You may consider it a job well done to be meeting the requirement of brushing your teeth twice a day. But there’s more you could be doing to help keep your mouth fresh and clean. Brushing your teeth with just a toothbrush only does up to 60% of the task, so why not put in the extra work and use an interdental brush?
“An interdental brush is designed to clean the gaps between your teeth,” explains TePe’s education and clinical support specialist, Amanda Sheehan. “Your regular toothbrush can only clean up to 60% of your tooth’s surface, so we need to use something else to clean the area that we’re missing.
“Ideally, we would do that daily to reduce the risk of gum disease through debris trapped between the teeth, as this can form areas of plaque bacteria next to our gums.
“We need to remove that debris to keep those gaps clear, so that we can keep our mouth and gums healthy, and reduce the risk of gum disease and dental decay.”
You could also add a tongue cleaner to your daily oral hygiene routine, which could have some surprising benefits. “A tongue cleaner can remove debris and plaque bacteria from the tongue, giving your tongue a fresh clean feel, healthier appearance and can contribute towards fresher breath,” says Sheehan. “Furthermore it can improve your sense of taste.”
Spit, don’t rinse
When you brush your teeth, you should get into the habit of just spitting out the excess toothpaste. Rinsing your mouth with water after brushing gets rid of all the fluoride goodness, and the fluoride is particularly useful at night when your salivary glands are less active.
Sheehan explains: “When we brush our teeth we want to use toothpaste that contains fluoride, and if you rinse your mouth immediately after brushing you’re rinsing all that fluoride toothpaste away from your teeth, so you lose all your protective benefits from it.”
No rinsing keeps the fluoride from the toothpaste in contact with your teeth for a longer period of time.
Sheehan adds that we need to be “optimising our exposure to fluoride”, using toothpastes with the recommended 1,350 to 1,500ppm (parts per million) of fluoride.
“Everyone knows that we need to brush twice a day, but one of those times should include before going to bed and we need to be using a toothpaste that contains the optimum amount of fluoride as well.”
Watch your acid intake
“Drinking hot lemon and water seems to be a popular trend, but having a diet high in acidity can cause sensitivity because you are likely to lose your enamel,” Sheehan points out. “Certain fruits and juices are more acidic than others – such as limes, lemons, cranberry juices – and they should be consumed in moderation.”
If your diet contains high levels of acidic fruits, dental erosion will soon be on the cards, and with the enamel on your teeth thinning, you’ll be susceptible to sensitivity and tooth breakage.
With 25 years’ experience in dentistry, 21 of those as a dental hygienist and therapist, Sheehan understands that some habits can be hard to break and suggests: “You could look at simple changes such as frequency of consumption; limiting those [acidic] types of food to mealtimes; using a straw to bypass your teeth; using a toothpaste that’s designed for sensitivity.”
Avoiding stress can help keep your mouth healthy
Overall wellbeing is linked to the health of your teeth and although it’s easier said than done, stress, in its various shapes and forms, should be avoided wherever possible for the sake of your oral health.
Sheehan explains how a stressful day could cause problems for your teeth at night.
“Some people might grind their teeth during their sleep as a result of stress – which they might not even be aware of until they start experiencing physical symptoms, or a partner mentions it to them.”
But once you are aware, she recommends seeing a dental professional, explaining: “If you have severe tooth grinding, you could be damaging your teeth and you might require dental intervention, such as a mouth guard to prevent further damage.”
If you keep a glass of water by your bedside
It’s really important to stay hydrated during the day. However, during the night, when your mouth produces less bacteria-fighting saliva, you may wish to have a glass of water next to your bed.
“Your saliva production is lessened when you’re asleep, so you haven’t got the ‘cleansing effect’ of saliva as much as during the day,” says Sheehan. Dry mouth can be exacerbated by “something as simple as breathing through your mouth at night or snoring … dry mouth may also lead to other problems, such as gum disease and tooth decay,” she adds.
A simple remedy comes in having a glass of water within reach at night (rather than squash or juice), if you wake up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty. But remember, we are trying not to wash away the fluoride protecting our teeth after brushing.
For more information, visit tepe.com/uk/sustainable-idb
