A fresh mouth looks beautiful
A healthy mouth allows you to eat and drink without any problems. And a fresh mouth naturally looks beautiful. Good oral care helps you maintain this. Do you know what you need to do to keep your mouth healthy?
Get rid of that plaque
You can buy plaque indicators at the chemist's.
Prevent cavities
To keep your mouth healthy, you need to remove plaque. This white-yellow film is difficult to see and forms on and between your teeth and at the transition to the gums. Plaque consists of bacteria and bacterial products. These are naturally present in your mouth. Almost all of our food and drink contains sugars and starch. Sugars are added to many foods (e.g. soft drinks), but they are also naturally present in products (e.g. fruit). The bacteria in your mouth convert sugars and starch into acids. These acids cause cavities in your teeth.
Prevent inflamed gums
Plaque also causes gum inflammation. If plaque is not removed properly, the bacteria in the plaque will cause your gums to become inflamed. Plaque that is not removed can harden and calcify into tartar. New plaque easily adheres to tartar. This causes the gums to become increasingly inflamed. The inflammation can spread and affect the underlying jawbone. Eventually, so much jawbone can be lost that your teeth become loose.
Do the dental plaque test
Have you brushed properly? Has all the plaque been removed? Check your brushing performance with a plaque disclosing tablet. It is a handy tool for making plaque visible. After brushing your teeth, chew the tablet and spread the dye over your teeth with your tongue. Then rinse away the excess dye with a small sip of water. Can you still see red spots on your teeth? That's plaque. So brush better!
Useful tips for oral care
Electric toothbrush
Do not consume acidic products one hour before brushing your teeth.
Choose sugar-free chewing gum
Brushing your teeth twice a day
Brushing your teeth is the basis for good oral hygiene. It is a meticulous task and certainly not easy. Therefore, brush your teeth twice a day, carefully and not too vigorously. A good brushing takes two minutes. So take your time!
Also between your teeth
A toothbrush alone cannot always clean the spaces between your teeth properly. It does not matter whether you use a manual or electric toothbrush. No toothbrush can reach these spaces effectively. Your dentist or dental hygienist may advise you to clean the spaces between your teeth once a day with interdental brushes, dental floss or toothpicks. Ask your practitioner which tool is best for you and how to use it.
Choose a good toothbrush
Choose a soft brush with a small brush head. Replace your toothbrush every three months or sooner if the bristles start to splay. Effective brushing can also be achieved with an electric toothbrush. This makes the correct brushing motion. This allows you to concentrate better on placing the brush head in your mouth. Here too, a new brush head removes more plaque than a brush that needs replacing.
Use fluoride toothpaste
Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and makes it less soluble in acid. Therefore, use fluoride toothpaste with 1,000–1,500 ppm*) fluoride twice a day (see packaging).
Eat or drink up to seven times a day
Soft drinks, fruit juices, yoghurt drinks and wine contain acids as well as sugars. You can hardly taste the acid. The sugar overpowers the sour taste. Acids attack your tooth enamel. This causes your teeth to wear down. This form of wear is called tooth erosion. Tooth erosion is a gradual process that is not easy to reverse. It is not just about how much acidic food or drink you consume. The more often you do so and the longer you keep acidic products in your mouth, the greater the risk of tooth erosion. The way you eat or drink also has an impact. Therefore, opt for three main meals a day and have a maximum of four snacks a day. This will give your teeth enough time to recover.
Consume acidic fruit no more than twice a day and drink soft drinks and other acidic beverages in moderation. Water, coffee and regular tea without sugar are not harmful to your teeth.
Do not consume acidic products one hour before brushing your teeth.
The acid attacks the tooth enamel. The brush and toothpaste have an abrasive effect. If you brush your teeth immediately after eating or drinking something acidic, you can easily brush away the tooth enamel. This causes your teeth to wear down even faster.
Sugar-free chewing gum protects your teeth
Did you know that saliva protects your teeth against tooth erosion? Saliva neutralises the acids in food and drinks. Chewing gum stimulates saliva production. Choose sugar-free chewing gum. Xylitol is a natural sweetener. Xylifresh chewing gum with 100% xylitol helps prevent plaque and is recommended by the Ivoren Kruis (Dental Association).
Visit your dentist
Visit your dentist or dental hygienist twice a year. They will check your teeth thoroughly and give you advice on how to keep your mouth healthy.
*) = parts per million
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© Ivory Cross
