You’re probably brushing your teeth wrong – here are four tips for better dental health

Jennifer Reyes — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 00:39:27 +0000

January 9, 2019 12.33am AEDT

We all know the advice for healthy teeth – brush twice daily and don’t eat too much sugar. So why do those of us following these instructions find we sometimes need a filling when we visit the dentist? The truth is, there’s a little more to preventing tooth decay than these guidelines suggest. Here’s what you need to know.

Brush up on your skills

How you brush makes a big difference. The mechanical act of brushing removes the very sticky dental plaque – a mixture of bacteria, their acids and sticky byproducts and food remnants. It forms naturally on teeth immediately after you’ve eaten but doesn’t get nasty and start to cause damage to the teeth until it reaches a certain stage of maturity. The exact amount of time this takes isn’t known but is at least more than 12 hours.

Bacteria consume sugar and, as a byproduct, produce acids which dissolve mineral out of the teeth, leaving microscopic holes we can’t see. If the process isn’t stopped and they aren’t repaired, these can become big, visible cavities.

Use fluoride toothpaste and disclosing tablets

Most of the benefit from brushing comes from toothpaste. The key ingredient is fluoride, which evidence shows prevents tooth decay. Fluoride replaces lost minerals in teeth and also makes them stronger.

For maximum benefit, use toothpaste with 1350-1500 ppmF – that’s concentration of fluoride in parts per million – to prevent tooth decay. Plaque is difficult to see because it is whitish, like your teeth. Disclosing tablets are available in supermarkets and chemists and they make plaque more visible, showing areas you may have missed when brushing.

No more than four ‘sugar hits’

Intrinsic sugars are found naturally in foods like fruit and they are far less likely to cause tooth decay than added or free sugars. Free sugars are generally those added to foods by manufacturers but also include honey, syrup and fruit juices. These are all easy for bacteria to consume, metabolise and produce acids from.

However, it can be difficult to tell which are the worst sugars for teeth. For example, although normal amounts of fruit are fine, fruit juices have sugar liberated from the plant cells and heavy consumption can cause decay.

The World Health Organization and NHS recommend free sugars should ideally make up less than 5% of your daily calorie intake. So what does this look like? For adults and children over about 11 years old, this is around 30g – about eight teaspoons – of sugar daily.

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Cleaner Teeth Can Brush Away Health Risks

Jennifer Reyes — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 23:30:40 +0000

by Kimberly Rae Miller, AARP Bulletin, October 2018

Prevent diabetes, cancer and more by spending more time with your toothbrush .

Think twice the next time you’re tempted to skip brushing your teeth — you might just save your life. When gums are inflamed and bleeding, it’s often gingivitis; a dentist’s care and good daily teeth cleaning can reverse it. But let the problem continue and the bones and tissue that hold your teeth in place begin to get damaged.

That’s called periodontitis. Once it sets in, you’re at risk of something much larger than a few missing teeth. “Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that stimulates the body’s immune system,” says Jeffrey R. Lemler, a periodontist in New York City. Bleeding gums allow bacteria and inflammation to enter the body and wreak havoc. Where? Pretty much everywhere.

Poor dental habits can have a surprising ripple effect throughout your body.

Sharper brain

People with severe periodontal disease were three times more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease, according to a statistical review. In another study, stroke patients had higher levels of certain bacteria in their saliva, demonstrating a link between oral hygiene and stroke risk.

Clearer lungs

If you find yourself headed to the hospital, bring your toothbrush. A recent study found that providing patients with oral care decreased instances of hospital-related pneumonia by 39 percent.

Lower cancer risk

Postmenopausal women who’ve experienced periodontal disease are at increased risk for breast, esophageal, gallbladder, skin and lung cancers, according to a 2017 study.

Healthier kidneys

The correlation between poor periodontal health and atherosclerosis has been well established for a few decades now. Atherosclerosis can be the root of a bunch of health problems you want nothing to do with, like chronic kidney disease.

CLICK HERE to continue reading the article to know more about the effects of poor dental habits throughout your body

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Clean Teeth Archives - Emerginnova

You’re probably brushing your teeth wrong – here are four tips for better dental health

Brush up on your skills

Use fluoride toothpaste and disclosing tablets

No more than four ‘sugar hits’

Share this post

Cleaner Teeth Can Brush Away Health Risks

Share this post