What is the correct way to brush teeth?
What is the right size of toothbrush?
And when is it changed?
What are the possible harms caused by not brushing before bed?
The correct way to brush your teeth
According to the Qatari Ministry of Public Health, the healthy way is as follows:
Place the brush at a 45-degree angle between the tooth and gums, then move it in a circular motion, then down to the upper teeth.
Bend the brush slightly to clean the inner surface of the teeth, making circular and then downward motions.
Don't forget to brush the inner surfaces of the teeth until you reach the back teeth by applying the brush at an angle and then making circular motions.
Swipe the brush to clean the tongue from back to front.
what plaque?
If you do not brush your teeth after eating, the oral bacteria, along with acids, sugars and saliva, form a layer on the surface of the teeth called plaque.
A person can feel the “plaque” layer with his tongue, especially on the back teeth, and it usually forms within hours after eating.
The acids in the “plaque” layer attack the “enamel” of the teeth, which is the outermost layer of the tooth and its strongest parts.
How many times should teeth be brushed a day?
The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
How long should it take to brush teeth?
The American Dental Association recommends brushing for two minutes at a time.
How to get rid of yellowing of the teeth?
Brush your teeth regularly.
Use medical floss at least once a day.
Reduce the intake of drinks that stain teeth, such as tea and coffee.
Limit sugary drinks.
Cut back on spicy foods.
Disadvantages of not brushing teeth before bed
Not brushing your teeth before bed is very unhealthy, as this will enable bacteria to consume the carbohydrates in your mouth while you sleep and produce acids that lead to decay.
When you eat during the day, the millions of bacteria in your mouth feed with you.
Just as you have to eliminate waste from time to time, so do the bacteria in your mouth.
The waste from these microorganisms is highly acidic, and they break down tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay and gum disease.
When you go straight to bed without brushing your teeth, the plaque in your mouth starts to harden.
Once calcified, plaque becomes hard, called tartar, and becomes impervious to brushing.
The only way to get rid of tartar from your teeth is to go to the dentist for a professional dental cleaning.
In addition, the gum treats plaque like an infection, so your immune system starts attacking it quickly.
Because plaque lives on your teeth and healthy gum tissue, some of that tissue is destroyed during the procedure, eroding your gums.
Benefits of brushing teeth
It is important to brush and floss your teeth to prevent gum disease.
Not brushing for several days can lead to gum disease.
Cleaning ensures the removal of plaque, the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease, and also stops the build-up and formation of 'plaque'.
Dental floss is an effective and easy-to-use tool that can be among your best defenses against gum disease.
Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque and bacteria.
Your daily oral hygiene routine should include a thorough brushing lasting two minutes, at least twice each day.
You should also incorporate flossing into your routine as well.
Dental floss is effective in cleaning areas that your toothbrush can't reach.
Small gaps and narrow spaces between teeth capture food debris as well as sugars and acids from drinks throughout the day.
Flossing helps clean those hard-to-reach places.
Flossing takes just a few minutes each day, but those few minutes can contribute to maintaining perfect oral health for life.
Floss is among the most popular tools.
Brushing the teeth prevents cavities
Brushing teeth can help prevent cavities and holes, knowing that caries can lead to tooth loss.
Brushing also helps prevent bad breath.
The right size toothbrush
Toothbrushes are sold in different sizes and shapes, from very small sizes for children, to large sizes for adults.
Make sure to choose a toothbrush with soft bristles, and a design that helps you easily reach all the different areas, and also make sure that the shape and size of your toothbrush matches your mouth.
When should the toothbrush be changed?
It is recommended to change your toothbrush every 3 or 4 months, as with frequent use, the brush bristles become damaged and lose their advantages and effectiveness.
Should you brush your teeth after every meal?
"Ideally, you could brush and floss after every meal, but this may not be very realistic for people with busy jobs or busy schedules," says Dr. Izzard Roll, assistant professor at Columbia University School of Dentistry.
That's why Dr. Izzard Rolle recommends brushing and flossing at least twice each day, and he says it's best if it's before bed.
Cleaning teeth from tartar
Cleaning teeth from tartar requires a visit to the dentist.
Tartar is a hard layer and cannot be removed with a toothbrush.
The importance of brushing children's teeth
Good oral health starts at a very young age.
Taking care of your baby's gums and teeth every day helps prevent cavities and gum disease.
It also helps make it a regular habit for your child, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
You should start taking care of your baby's mouth when he is just a few days old.
Gently wipe your baby's gums with a clean, damp cloth or gauze.
Clean your baby's mouth after every feed and before bed.
Your baby's teeth will start to appear between the ages of 6 to 14 months.
Baby teeth can decay, so you should start cleaning them as soon as they appear.
Gently brush your child's teeth using water and a soft toothbrush appropriate for his age.
Don't use fluoride toothpaste until your child is over two years old, as they need to be able to spit out toothpaste rather than swallow it.
For children under 3 years of age, use only a small amount of toothpaste the size of a grain of rice, for older children, use a pea-sized amount.
Brush your child's teeth after breakfast and before bedtime.
Brush in small circles on the gums and teeth.
Brush for two minutes.
Focus on the back molars, which are most at risk of decay.
Use floss to clean between the teeth once a day.
Start flossing as soon as two of the teeth touch.
Change your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.
Teach children how to brush and floss.
Start by being a role model and showing your kids how you floss and brush your teeth every day.
Children under 6 years of age may be able to handle the toothbrush themselves.
If they want to, it's okay to let them practice.
Just be sure to follow through and clean up any spots they missed.
Teach children to brush their tongue to keep their breath fresh and remove germs.
Most children can brush their own teeth by the age of 7 or 8.
Should the teeth be brushed before or after breakfast?
Some people do the first brushing of the day even before breakfast, while others do it after eating.
In this context, the doctor specializing in dental surgery, Natalie Delphine, says, in a report published by the French newspaper "Le Figaro", that "at night, saliva secretion decreases, so our mouth dries up, which makes it a favorable environment for bacteria to multiply."
The newspaper quoted Elodie Terrier, a researcher in microbiology and a specialist in dental surgery, as saying that the cleaning process before breakfast “removes only a small part of the bacterial load, and the teeth will have to be brushed again automatically after eating.”
Therefore, in all cases, a person should brush his teeth after breakfast.