Take care of your adult teeth
A period of risk
Awareness of good hygiene is all the more important as the adolescent lifestyle is conducive to the appearance of dental problems. Indeed, the diet of teens is less varied and leaves more room for sugars, sodas and snacking throughout the day. This diet popular with young people will promote the appearance of dental plaque, this whitish substance that is deposited on the surface of the tooth. Dental plaque is made up mainly of bacteria. It is partly responsible for the problems of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums which can lead to swelling and bleeding of the gums), periodontitis (bacteria settle between the tooth and the gum causing destruction of the tissues surrounding the tooth) and the formation cavities.
The essential: brushing after each meal
In adolescence, all adult teeth have grown except for wisdom teeth which appear around 18 years old. It is therefore important to preserve this capital by adequate brushing.
– In the evening, it is the most important time to brush your teeth. Indeed, the secretion of saliva stops at night. However, this has a protective role against cavities.
– In the morning, the second most important moment for a good brushing of teeth, the more so as the food of the breakfast is always very sweet (fruit juice, jams…).
– At noon, it will not be easy to ask your teenager to brush his teeth. But other palliatives can usefully replace brushing. Sugar-free chewing gum will increase salivation and therefore further protect it from cavities. In addition, automatic cleaning takes place due to the mechanical friction of the chewing gum on the teeth. Eating an apple is also recommended because the texture of its flesh promotes the elimination of food residues.
Finally, make an appointment with the dentist every year for a check-up and every 6 months as soon as he has received special care.
With the help of Frédéric Bohin, dental surgeon, and the Oral-Bar, an ephemeral bar open in early February in Paris devoted to oral health and the discovery of electric brushing.
How do you brush your teeth well ?
Knowing how to brush your teeth effectively will have a short-term effect on the breath and long-term effect on the beauty of the teeth as well as the general health of your teenager. To start, you should know that 3 daily brushings (after breakfast, lunch and dinner) are recommended to remove food debris and dental plaque.
Brushing time
The minimum brushing time with a simple toothbrush is 3 minutes. However, it is unfortunately much lower on average: 46 seconds which does not even remove half of the dental plaque present on the teeth.
Manual brushing
The so-called roller method is recommended. It consists of a circular brushing of the gum towards the tooth. Not horizontal brushing (which is the case for 2/3 of manual toothbrush users) nor vertical brushing as for one in five people. To clean the impurities placed between the teeth, it is often necessary to accentuate pressure on the brush so that the bristles enter the interdental space.
The benefits of electric brushing
It is because effective brushing is not given to everyone that the electric toothbrush has considerable advantages. First, the average brushing time drops to 2 minutes. Then, the circular movements recommended by dentists are done automatically. It’s easy, effortless, the brush works by itself. You will see that quickly, your teenager will learn to send his texts while brushing his teeth with his electric brush. In addition, many adolescents have braces that are very difficult to clean. In this case, an electric toothbrush will be very useful to them thanks to the “ortho” brushes designed for them.
Change your toothbrush regularly
Finally, whatever toothbrush you have, it is important to change it regularly (every 6 to 8 weeks). And if you can’t remember the date of your last purchase, trust his head. If the hairs are going all over the place, it’s time to change.
