Filling your mouth with your teeth

1997/01/01 Agirre, Jabier - Medikua eta OEEko kidea Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Yes, so says the Basque saying. And so it will leave us most of us with the reading of this article, even though what is said in it are quite ordinary things and therefore from all over the world.

Three caries with 6 years, eleven with 35. At the end, at the age of 70, seven out of ten Basques were left without teeth. While in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark the incidence of caries has decreased by 30-80% in the last ten years, among us it has doubled. Have we not yet learned to wash teeth properly?

We have not advanced in dental health, according to the latest report published by experts from the European Union. And not only in the poor dental education of people, but in the lack of good oral health habits. In short, we do not know how to properly clean teeth.

Brush condition

Toothbrushes are not forever: if their structure, bristles, are deteriorated, they will not be able to perform their function. Therefore, they must be modified every three months. However, a survey by a well-known brand of toothpaste revealed that half of us used the same brush for more than six months and that most of us changed it every two years.

Among those surveyed, 63% wanted the toothbrush to last a long time and the baby to be natural, just the other way around. The ideal brush should be soft synthetic fiber, such as nylon, with very concentrated filaments with rounded edges and not very large. According to the young, they can be soft, medium and hard. It is logical to choose medium or soft, as hard ones rub too much teeth. Electric brushes are quite useful, especially for older people or with motor problems in arms or hands.

And with toothpaste, what?

Among us we consume approximately one tube of toothpaste per person per year. This figure does not show too much fondness for dental cleaning, nothing!

In principle, a toothpaste must contain fluoride, as the ability of fluoride to strengthen tooth enamel is sufficiently demonstrated. Studies in 21 countries around the world have shown that one million parts of water fluoride contributes to prevent the formation of bacterial plaques.

There are toothpaste with substances such as potassium, nitrate and chlorhexidine for those who have other specific problems (caries, gingivitis, herons). Other brands are bicarbonated, which makes saliva more alkaline, less acidic, to protect teeth.

To finish with the accounts of the pastes, do not put too much toothpaste on the brush, since there is an excess of foam inside the mouth, which prevents proper cleaning of the teeth.

Elixirs are increasingly used. They are a good complement to dental brushing for disinfection. The best are chlorhexidine. But they should also be used in moderation, for example in a month and in the next rest (with normal toothpaste), since chlorhexidine fouls the teeth.

Txotx and thread

The thread of teeth or silk is recommended to remove the remains of food that have remained between the teeth. For many, in addition, using txotx in public is a bad education. However, among the rods there are those of orange wood, better than conventional.

How to cope with cavities?

60% of us claim to have some cavities, but only one in three is properly packed. Cavities are the main consequence of poor oral hygiene: bacteria are placed in the holes of the teeth that are full of food and live mainly in charge of sugars. From this sum are formed acids produced by bacteria that attack the enamel. The initial injury is known as the white spot and at this time it is possible to put obstacles and obstacles to the injury, even if it is a hole.

When cavities are placed in the tooth or tooth, the enamel gradually deteriorates to form holes. It then attacks dentin and finally also affects the dental pulp: this aggression produces a large group of bacteria inside the tooth, decomposing all the residues. It is very important to avoid the abuse of foods rich in sugars, such as those that appear in the figure, which are preferred by bacteria, and in case of taking them should be washed afterwards.

In addition, the formation of acid starts the process of demineralization of the tooth, while the consumption of saliva and liquids without sugar supposes a remineralization. If steps are not taken, such as removing cavities and filling the hole, the infection will continue into the tooth, reaching the ghost and nerve, increasing pain.

At the INSERM in France, scientists experienced a caries vaccine. It was a pharmacological substance that was taken as a pill. In saliva an antibody was formed that did not allow tooth retention of bacteria. This vaccine obtained with biotechnology was a success in animals, but since then nothing has been known about the project, although it has been said that there could be economic difficulties.

In addition to cavities, other diseases are very common among us: those that occur in the gums, called periodontal diseases. Its main cause is the layer of bacteria that forms and is placed on dental plaque. The first symptom of these diseases is a painless hemorrhage, such as the one that appears in dental cleaning, although then the bone that holds the tooth root is also affected. Once this bacterial layer is calcified, a kind of “paste” (known as “sarro” in Basque) is spread over the teeth, which the dentist removes in those regular dental cleaning sessions. But for this not to happen, you have to sharpen your oral hygiene, often and brushing your teeth well.

Gingivitis or pyorrhea, inflammation of the gums, that is, the cause of dental pieces being in place as cowards. It spoils the root and finally the tooth falls. We should also mention heliophosis, the breath in the mouth produced by bacterial plaque.

Between 87% and 97% of Basques do not know how to wash their teeth properly. At first it was said that we had to brush the teeth horizontally and then we were told that it was better to do it vertically.

The truth is that each group of teeth requires special treatment: do not forget that from the age of three children should begin to learn how to brush their teeth and always after getting out of bed, after each meal and, if possible, after taking any sugary food. The night session is the most important, as during sleep bacteria are the most affected. Should not be done after 10 to 15 minutes of dinner, some toothpaste with fluoride should be used and the session should last at least 2 minutes

How to brush?

1. To start the correct brushing you must keep the brush parallel to the line of the mouth and move it by doing semicircles.

2. For the lower teeth the movement will be reversed, always starting with the gum, so that the residues go to the tip of the teeth.

3. In the grinding wheels we use to chew, brushing should be parallel to the blade, with subsequent movements.

4º Finally, it is advisable to pass the brush over the tongue to remove the local microbes and clean the mouth with plenty of water.