Oral Health Tips

toothbrush

A health toothbrush with suitable brush head size and bristles hardness should be selected.

After brushing your teeth, you should shake off the water on the bristles, with the brush head facing up and standing in a cup to dry it as soon as possible and prevent bacterial growth.

The toothbrush needs to be replaced every 2-3 months, otherwise the cleaning ability of the toothbrush will be greatly reduced.

toothpaste

Use fluoride toothpaste.

Moderate amounts of fluoride can combine with the components in tooth enamel, making the tooth surface stronger. In addition, fluoride can also inhibit the activity and growth of bacteria in the oral cavity. Long term use of fluoride toothpaste can effectively prevent the occurrence of dental caries.

It should be noted that commercially available fluorine-containing, desensitizing, and herbal toothpaste are not medicines and cannot replace professional oral treatment. In short, toothpaste is not necessary and cannot be completely relied upon.

How to use dental floss correctly

Dental floss can effectively remove food residue and plaque on adjacent teeth, reducing adjacent caries and gum inflammation.

Precautions for using dental floss:

1. The distance between two fingers controlling dental floss should not exceed 3.5 centimeters;

2. Do not forcefully press the thread into the gap between teeth. When there is a feeling of tightness and inability to pass, you can use a saw to move back and forth at the tooth contact surface, gently allowing the thread to slide into the gap;

3. Dental floss can be moved to the bottom of the gingival sulcus to clean the gingival sulcus area, but cannot enter the gingival tissue to avoid discomfort, pain, or bleeding in the gums;

4. Use two fingers to scrape the dental floss 4-6 times on each side of the tooth surface until a "squeaking" sound is heard and the tooth surface is clean;

When the dental floss is worn or contaminated, you can rotate your middle finger to release another intact piece of dental floss for continued use;

6. Starting to use dental floss may result in clumsy fingers, time-consuming practice, and increased proficiency and effectiveness.

Which is better, an electric toothbrush or a regular toothbrush?

Is an electric toothbrush necessarily more effective in brushing teeth than a regular toothbrush? The answer is negative.

For dental health, brushing methods and habits are actually more important than whether or not to use an electric toothbrush.

If the frequency of brushing is appropriate and comprehensive, a regular toothbrush can also produce healthy teeth. On the contrary, if one only admires the novelty of electric toothbrushes and uses them without carefully brushing every tooth surface, their teeth will still be damaged.

Sugar free chewing gum is not a mouth protector

Chewing gum can rub teeth, remove some plaque and food residue attached to teeth, and have a certain cleaning effect on teeth. However, if you think chewing sugar free gum can replace brushing your teeth, you are completely wrong!

Chewing gum can only take away the plaque on the surface of teeth, and cannot clean the plaque in the gaps and grooves between teeth. In addition, if chewing gum for a long time, it may increase the burden on the temporomandibular joint and potentially cause joint diseases; Secondly, it can cause excessive exercise of the masseter muscles. Although sugar substitutes such as xylitol have low calories, eating too much can still cause weight gain.

Source: Chaoyang District People's Government, Beijing