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Welcome toMilton Keynes Dental CareTooth Brushing FAQ |
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MK Dental Care offers lots of information and and links to other websites about Tooth Brushing. Frequently Asked Questions Cleaning Your Teeth and Gums (Oral Hygiene) What is plaque?
Many of the foods you eat cause the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids. Sugared foods, such as candy and cookies, are not the only culprits. Starches, such as bread, crackers, and cereal, also cause acids to form. If you snack often, you could be having acid attacks all day long. After many acid attacks, your teeth may decay. Plaque also produces substances that irritate the gums, making them red, tender or bleed easily. After a while, gums may pull away from the teeth. Pockets form and fill with more bacteria and pus. If the gums are not treated, the bone around the teeth can be destroyed. The teeth may become loose or have to be removed. In fact, gum disease is a main cause of tooth loss in adults. One way to prevent tooth decay and gum disease is by eating a balanced diet and limiting the number of between-meal snacks. If you need a snack, choose nutritious foods such as raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese or a piece of fruit. What is daily oral health care? The best way to remove decay-causing plaque is by brushing and cleaning between your teeth every day. Brushing removes plaque from the tooth surfaces. Brush your teeth twice a day, with a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth, allowing you to reach all areas easily. Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, which helps protect your teeth from decay. Cleaning between the teeth once a day with floss or interdental cleaners removes plaque from between the teeth, areas where the toothbrush can't reach. It is essential in preventing gum disease. By taking care of your teeth, eating a balanced diet and visiting your dentist regularly, you can have healthy teeth and an attractive smile your entire life. Follow these tips to keep your teeth and mouth clean:
People who have difficulty handling dental floss may prefer to use another kind of interdental cleaner. These aids include special brushes, picks or sticks. If you use interdental cleaners, ask your dentist about how to use them properly, to avoid injuring your gums. Did you know that millions of people are actively ruining their smile ? Their instrument of destruction -- the average household toothbrush! Find out if you're ruining your smile every morning when you brush.  The purpose of brushing is to remove the plaque bacteria which constantly grows on our teeth. This plaque bacteria creates the volatile sulfur compounds responsible for bad breath as well as the dilute acid which eats into tooth enamel to create cavities.
Tooth brushing mechanically removes plaque bacteria from our teeth and gums. Unfortunately, most people apply far too much pressure when brushing. This excessive brushing force damages teeth in several ways:
Why Do Most People Brush Too Hard ?
We don't realize how much brushing pressure is too much pressure: No one ever taught us how to brush with the right amount of pressure. Consequently, even if we think that we are brushing softly, we are often, in fact applying far too much pressure, damaging teeth and gums in the process. We feel that the harder we brush, the cleaner our teeth will become: This is a common misperception. The goal of brushing is to remove plaque bacteria. Plaque bacteria is very easily removed with the slightest of brushing pressure. When we brush harder we do not remove more plaque, just damage teeth and gums. What's more important than how hard we brush is that we brush all of our tooth surfaces. It takes nearly 3 minutes to do this; most people spend less than 30 seconds brushing their teeth. What Can You Do ? It is incredibly hard to stop applying too mush brushing pressure. We may be able to stop for a day or two but quickly return to our old habits. Think of it as driving a car with no speedometer: It is nearly impossible to know how fast you are going and very easy to exceed the speed limit. Most people would benefit from an electric toothbrush (plaque remover). Many of these like the Braun Oral-B 3D which we sell contain pressure sensors which automatically stop the brush when you exert too much pressure.
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Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.
opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
Some studies indicate the percentage of people who apply too much brushing pressure to be as high as 66% . Usually we brush too hard for one of two reasons:
| Golden Rules for Interdental Cleaning |
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1 The
golden rule when using Tepe Interdental Brushes is DON’T PUSH. If you
notice resistance on the brush when attempting to use the brush in the
interdental space, STOP and draw the brush back and then try another
angle. The resistance you are feeling may not be that the brush is too
big (especially if your Hygienist has recommended a size to you) it may
be that you are encountering the sides of the tooth rather than gliding
through the space. Keep trying another angle if the brush still does
not fit try a smaller size. 2 Your brush should be a snug fit so that it touches each side of the triangular shaped interdental space. If it feels to tight try a size smaller. Tepe have now introduced a pack of brushes that contains one of each size. This might be useful to you if you are having difficulty in using your brushes as it will enable you to find the exact right size for the space that you are having difficulty with. EACH INTERDENTAL GAP IS UNIQUE AND SO YOU WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY NEED SEVERAL SIZES OF INTERDENTAL BRUSH TO ENABLE YOU TO DO A THOUROUGH CLEAN OF ALL INTERDENTAL SPACES. 3 Once through the interdental gap only move the brush hoziontally. Try to feel the brush on the gum between the teeth and keep the brush on the gum possibly with a little downward pressure if you are trying to improve some inflammation. Only move the brush back and forth a couple of times. Scrubbing is not necessary and will shorten the life of the brush. If you have moved the brush upwards and it is sticking where the teeth touch each other (called the “contact point”) it is a sign that you have not maintained the horizontal approach. Interdental brushes are not like floss they do not go up and down the side of the tooth, they just clean the area of tooth that is adjacent to the gum as it is here that the inflammation of the gum tissue starts. 4 Put a gentle curve in a brush to  5 You may notice over time that the brush feels less snug in the space. This is a sign that you have reduced the swelling that is part of the inflammatory process, reducing the swelling means that the inflammation is improving. The interdental brush has not made the gap in between any larger than it was but the swelling may have filled the space. 6 Remember the space in between your teeth is inaccessible to your ordinary toothbrush and although even on the largest teeth it may not be more than a few millimetres long once infection has become established there it can spread down the side of the tooth until it reaches the tip of the tooth root. It will take the bone level with it which is how loose teeth happen 7 Gum tissue will always respond to care it is never to late to improve a gum condition unless the tooth has already been lost! 8 If you are using a therapeutic gel put it on the gum between the teeth and then use your brush. If you are using the right size brush putting the gel on the brush means that the gel will be removed from the brush before it gets to the deepest part of the interdental space. Toothpaste is unnecessary on an interdental brush. 9 TePe Interdental Brushes are designed to be gentle. This means that they are designed to bend before they can penetrate gum tissue. This is why getting the technique right is so important. It is costly and frustrating to keep inappropriately bending the brushes. Ask your Hygienist if you are in doubt or email a question to us. 10 It is universally acknowledged that it is necessary to clean your mouth with a toothbrush every day to maintain health. This is also true of the interdental space. Once or twice a week will not get the results that you would like. 11 Not all Interdental brushes have plastic coated wire. This is particularly important if you have implants as without the plastic covering the wire will scratch the implant. It is important not to scratch the implant as this gives small bacteria an extra place to live. 12 When you have used the brush wash it carefully using your fingers up and down the bristles. Then leave to dry in a clean place. 13 Sometimes it is easier if you slide the brush gently along the gum margin and then the curve of the brush will find it easier to access the interdental space. 14 Interdental brushes are more effective than floss if they are the correct fit. This is because Floss cannot clean a concave hollow in the tooth while interdental brushes can. |
Why Floss?  Without flossing, plaque and calculus build up on teeth and underneath the gums, creating inflammation of the gums which leads to gingivitis and more serious forms of gum disease. Perhaps you notice that when you floss and/or brush that your gums tend to bleed. If so, this is generally a sign that your teeth are not clean. A visit to your dentist and a proper home oral hygiene regimen can get you back on the right track! If the risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease is not enough, flossing will also help reduce bad breath! If you do not floss regularly, you might notice that when you do floss, a faint (or strong) odor is apparent. These odors are caused by the buildup of bacterial debris (sulfur compounds) between the teeth and underneath your gums. These compounds can contribute to bad breath, whether or not you recognize it. |
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Proper Flossing Flossing is an essential part of the tooth-cleaning process because it removes plaque from between teeth and at the gumline, where periodontal disease often begins. If you find using floss awkward or difficult, ask your dental hygienist about the variety of dental floss holders or interdental cleaning devices that are available.
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Special Promotional offers At the moment we have special promotional offers for Bleaching
The cost of Tooth Whitening also known as Tooth Bleaching starts at 175 with most patients paying 225 for a full mouth home bleaching tray system. We also do the 'Advanced In Surgery Rapid Bleaching System' which normally starts from 275 but is now included free. We offer a full range of Cosmetic Dentistry Choices including Dental Veneers. |
| Contact Information for your Milton Keynes Dentist | |
Dentist | Dr David Gilmartin |
Postal address |
Milton Keynes (MK) Dental Care, 159 Ramsons Avenue, Conniburrow, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 7BE, England. |
Phone |
01908 690326 |
Fax |
01908 676880 |
Electronic mail | |
| Other Websites | |
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