TOP 5: FACTS ABOUT ORAL HYGIENE (KEEP YOUR TEETH IN CHECK!)
photos by Unsplash
Although everyone has a mask on these days and it’s hard to see anyone’s teeth at all, it’s still very important to be on point with your oral hygiene. Pandemic or not: if no one else can see those teeth (or that one tooth), you will. Here’s a few facts to inspire you to take those chompers more seriously.
Sugar ≠ Cavities
Contrary to popular belief, eating too many sweets is not the only way you can get a cavity. A cavity is tooth decay that can form from prolonged plaque buildup. This especially happens more often in places where teeth need a little more brushing and/or flossing. Cavities can appear on practically every surface of your tooth: from the top, the right, the left, and the middle too. Oh and another fun fact about cavities, those who drink cold drinks (or soda) often develop them three times as often as those who don’t partake in sugary elixirs.
To “Deep-Clean” Or To… Not?
Have you ever went to the dentist for a routine appointment and you were told that you could not get the typical cleaning because you needed a “deeper” cleaning? Was that deep-cleaning much more expensive than the regular cleaning? This procedure is actually referred to as periodontal scaling and root planing in the dental world. This procedure involves a dentist (or hygienist) removing plaque and calculus (which is practically old, hard plaque) buildup that you normally cannot get rid of with routine brushing. Once your gums are cleaned and healed from the procedure, you should be able to feel the difference. Your teeth will certainly feel smoother and if your gums were loose or wiggly before (a sign of periodontal disease) your gums will feel much tighter. Usually around a week or two after periodontal scaling, teeth are ready for a routine prophylaxis (dental term for regular cleaning).
Brush Twice, Thrice if You’re Nice
No one likes morning breath, but brushing in the morning is really only half the job. Brushing in the AM ensures that your teeth feel free of plaque and your breath is super fresh for the start of your day. Morning brushing is super great and all, but what about at night? What do you think happens to your teeth overnight after you’ve eaten all those delicious meals and drank all those sugary drinks? Brushing before bed ensures that you aren’t falling asleep with a day’s worth of decay on your pearly whites. Leaving food in your teeth overnight can get permanently stuck, which then leads to tooth disease or decay, aka CAVITIES 👹, and we don’t want that! Some people even brush after every meal which is a great habit to have but we’re still working on that one.
Bleeding While Brushing
While seeing a bit of blood while brushing is almost as common as the entire act of brushing teeth itself, that does not make it a healthy occurrence. Most people don’t realize that bleeding while brushing a sign that should never be ignored. Bleeding gums are generally a sign of gingivitis, or basically the inflammation of gums. In some cases, you can actually see the inflamed gums which sometimes look puffy, or swollen. Gums become inflamed from instances such as trapped food or long-term decay, mostly presented as calculus build-up beneath the gumline (which is very hard to reach with normal brushing). There are many treatment options for gum inflammation, so please do proper research prior to beginning any treatments, either at-home or with your dentist.
I’m FLOSSY!
by GIPHY