The French Union for Oral Health estimates that two brushings per day are sufficient to maintain healthy teeth. Only half of the French respect this recommendation.
“Come on, if you don’t want cavities, go and brush your teeth!” This phrase will now be repeated less often by adults to young children. Indeed, the French Union for Oral Health (UFSBD) this week issued new recommendations on dental hygiene. For the association, only two brushings of teeth per day are sufficient now, instead of three previously. And the latter to specify that, “it is to adapt to new lifestyles”, that she decided to review her copy. As we know, oral health is essential, above all in preventing cavities, but also to protect the heart. However, when it comes to dental hygiene, the French are considered bad pupils.
43% of French people do not brush their teeth twice a day
Indeed, according to the Sensodyne / Ifop study carried out in July 2011 (1), only 53% of French people say they wash their teeth twice a day, whereas they were more numerous, 58% in 2008. When even, however, some good students, since 16% of French people said they followed the old recommendations of dentists and brush their teeth 3 times a day. Just for the record, there was still 1%, or 60,000 people, who never brushed their teeth!
Women are more serious than men about dental hygiene
Indeed, the female sex is more concerned about their dental hygiene than the men: almost one in 5 women say they brush them 3 times a day. Also at the top of the list, young people of both sexes from 18 to 24 years old who work seriously for white teeth and fresh breath: 7 out of 10 admit to washing them twice a day. Unlike teenagers who shun their toothbrush the most. At this age, the hairbrush seems to trump the toothbrush …
The consequences of not brushing your teeth
Brushing your teeth is the only way to effectively fight cavities. It allows, in fact, to remove food debris and limit dental plaque, responsible with bacteria, caries. Because we know, after each meal, food debris will settle on and between the teeth. The bacteria present in the mouth will transform this food debris into acid. And after each meal, the acidity of the mouth increases. It is precisely this acidity that will attack the teeth.
Apart from cavities, other risks can result from poor brushing. The gum, for example, takes it too, “full of teeth”. If you brush it little or badly, it deteriorates and ends up retracting and revealing the root of the tooth, which is very sensitive. Hence the pain triggered by certain foods but also by cold or heat. Almost 7 in 10 people complain about it.
What to do
As you can see, brushing your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes is enough to maintain good dental hygiene, according to the UFSBD. But not just any old way! It must be done with a soft medium brush, which is changed every 3 months. And the direction of brushing is essential: from red to white, which means that you should definitely not brush your teeth horizontally.
Finally, last tip, avoid snacking during the day: it’s bad for the waistline, but also for the teeth and gums which are constantly in contact with food debris, a real poison!
(1) Sensodyne / Ifop study carried out in July 2011 for GSK Santé Grand Public using a self-administered online questionnaire, with a sample of 1,008 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over. Barometer carried out on the occasion of the Congress of the French Dental Association.
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