We’ve all had lots of advice as kids about brushing our teeth. But are they sufficient for good dental hygiene?
Brush your teeth at least for 2 minutes, rinse your mouth well, at least twice a day, … Were these tips all good? And above all, are they complete?
The 4 things to avoid
To have good dental hygiene and not spoil your toothbrushing, 4 things must absolutely be avoided, otherwise bacteria, present in the mouth, will become too aggressive and cause cavities to appear.
Sugar
Eating too much sugar causes cavities, that is well known. But what does “too sweet” mean? 30 grams of daily intake, this is the amount that the teeth of an adult or a child over 11 years old could support. This is the equivalent of 8 teaspoons.
Only limiting the amount of sugar would not be enough. Indeed, we should also monitor the frequency with which we eat sugar. Indeed, the teeth can resist a certain number of sweet attacks which would be limited to 4 per day. Every time we eat a cake, a sugary drink, or even crisps that contain refined carbohydrates, it acts as an attack on our teeth.
Do not rinse your mouth
The pasty mouth, full of toothpaste, we all have the reflex after brushing our teeth, to spit, then to rinse our mouths. We all have a bad reflex.
We should stop spitting, since rinsing the mouth will also remove the protective fluoride from the teeth. Breaking this habit will allow you to reduce the risk of cavities by up to 25%.
Eat and drink
A two-in-one advice, brushing your teeth eliminates dental plaque that promotes the appearance of cavities. However, eliminating the plaque is not enough. Bacteria will take advantage of any leftover food to create acid attacks.
Also, after brushing your teeth before nightfall, it is ideal not to eat or drink anything except water. Just as by not rinsing your mouth, you let the fluoride act as long as possible.
Good reflexes
On the contrary, certain reflexes are to be preserved. A brushing time of 2 minutes is a good start, to be done once in the evening to optimize its effect, and a second time during the day. This will prevent the bacteria from having time to become too aggressive. Consider using a fluoride toothpaste with a concentration of 1350 to 1500 ppm fluoride, an ideal dosage to prevent cavities. This is because fluoride replaces the minerals lost in the teeth and makes them stronger.
Dental plaque, whitish, is easily confused with tooth enamel. Dental plaque revealers can help you solve this problem since the forgotten areas will be adorned with an elegant neon pink color.
Electric toothbrushes will be more effective than a traditional toothbrush. With small heads, you will reach the ends of the jaw more easily. Nevertheless, the main thing is to brush your teeth regularly. The electric toothbrush is a plus and not a necessity.
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