March is World Oral Health Day, a great opportunity to learn more about this topic that affects our health as a whole. Here is the key information you need to keep your oral health up to date!
Did you know that going to the dentist only when you have pain or obvious problems means self-sabotaging your own health? After all, if health begins with the mouth, the health of your mouth begins with proper hygiene and periodic visits to the dentist.
This was one of the warnings made by the dentist Larrosier Ortiz, OdontoPrev’s oral health consultant, in the live performed by Horiens in partnership with the Novonor Group companies for the promotion of oral health.
“It is important to remember that the evolution of oral diseases leads to tooth loss, a situation that negatively affects quality of life, bringing from functional impacts related to chewing and speech, for example, to loss of self-esteem and associated psychological problems,” explains Larrosier. “Not to mention the relationship of oral health to other health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and even abortion,” he adds.
Check out 5 essential steps to keep your oral health up to date:
1) Scrape your tongue when you wake up
During the night, the tongue suffers an accumulation of debris and dead cells, the so-called mouthwash.
Use an appropriate scraper, an utensil sold in pharmacies, and make the sweeping movement from the bottom of the tongue forward, taking care not to hurt. This practice prevents the proliferation of bacteria and reduces the development of halitosis by 90%.
2) Brush and floss your teeth after meals
“If you are brushing your teeth in 30 seconds, you are doing it wrong,” Larrosier warns. Proper brushing, preceded by flossing, is fundamental.
The wire must enter the gingival sulcus, where the bacterial plaque, the main cause of gingival problems, is retained.
The brush should have soft bristles, and the time taken when brushing the teeth should be about 2 minutes, that is, 30 seconds for each half of the mouth.
3) Use fluoride toothpaste
The teeth lose their minerals due to acidity, caused by bacteria that proliferate when the oral cavity is not well cleaned. Fluoride acts to reverse the scenario, supporting the teeth’s remineralization process.
For adults, the recommendation is to choose a toothpaste with 1,450 ppm. The amount of paste should be equivalent to a pea bean.
For children, toothpastes with a fluoride concentration above 800 to 1000 ppm are sufficient. The amount of paste should be like a grain of rice. For babies under two, less than a grain of rice. “For those who are still unable to rinse their mouth after using the paste, it is recommended that the mouth be sanitized with a gauze dampened with water,” Larrosier advises.
4) Attention to bleeding gums
If you notice blood while flossing or brushing, know that your gums are sick. Three days without proper tooth brushing is enough to cause bleeding.
Immediately resuming basic care can remedy the problem, however if this does not happen, see a dentist for a cleaning and scaling.
“Gum bleeding is related to poor sports performance, low birth weight and diabetes, among other health problems. If left untreated, gum disease can also evolve into periodontitis, which can cause a lot of pain and sensitivity,” explains Larrosier.
5) Go to the dentist twice a year as a preventive routine
It is essential to visit the dentist twice a year, preventively. Only a technical eye can identify problems at an early stage, increasing the chances of preserving teeth.
“Caries is the result of a chemical process. In the beginning it is treatable,” explains Larrosier. If you put off going to the dentist, however, the problem will progress, killing the nerve of the tooth and creating the need for a root canal treatment to remove this dead and contaminated content.
“Think about whether it is good to have a hotbed of infection in a tooth that has blood vessels that connect to other areas of your body? This can be associated, for example, with cases of miscarriage, so dental prenatal care is essential for pregnant women. Another situation that can occur is that the bacteria migrate to the heart, increasing the risk of developing bacterial endocarditis, an infection in the heart,” he explains.
Did you miss the live chat with dental surgeon Larrosier Ortiz or want to see it again? Click here to watch!
