cleaning products

It is difficult to keep an overview of all the oral hygiene cleaning agents which are available today.
With so many products advertised by different companies, it is confusing to know which one is best for your needs.

There are different tooth brushing techniques using a hand toothbrush (e.g. bass, stillman or charter method). Each technique differs in which way the brush is held at a certain angle and in its direction of motion. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages, each one having a different desired result in cleaning.

Have your dental hygienist give you the toothbrush instructions which are best suited for your needs. Before you begin brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth with water to remove large food particles.

After consuming acidic meals and beverages, it is recommended to wait some time before brushing.

 

toothbrush

The toothbrush is still the most important instrument in oral hygiene. The most important factor in efficient teeth cleaning is “you”! The majority of patients scrub their teeth with strong horizontal movements. In addition, conventional toothbrushes with flat close bristle fields are most unsuitable. They have a smaller cleaning efficiency between the teeth and cause erosion and abrasive damage on soft and laminated materials.

In general, a toothbrush head should be small for easy access. It should have a long, wide handle for a firm grasp and soft, nylon bristles with round ends. Some brushes are too abrasive and can wear down teeth. A soft, rounded, multi-tufted brush can clean teeth effectively. Press just firmly enough to reach the spaces between the teeth as well as the surface. Medium and hard bristles are not recommended.

Most people spend less than a minute brushing. Make sure you're doing a thorough job brushing the full 3-4 minutes twice a day instead of brushing quickly five or more times through the day.

Change your toothbrush every 3-4 months because they become ineffective and may harbor harmful bacterial.

Recommended Toothbrush Care:

  • Do not share toothbrushes.
  • Store it in an upright position and do not allow them to contact each other.
  • Change your toothbrush at the beginning of an illness and after you feel better.

 

Electric toothbrushes

Oscillating toothbrush: Trisa, Oral-B Braun professional, Colgate Actibrush.

Electric toothbrushes can help motivate a person to brush their teeth. Using an electric toothbrush which is fun or different can motivate the person to want to brush more frequently or longer.

Electric toothbrushes can also motivate persons in another way. People can be motivated by the evidence that their electric toothbrush is cleaning their teeth much more effectively than when they were brushing with a manual toothbrush. Since electric toothbrushes create an effective brushing motion on their own, their use requires much less dexterity than a manual toothbrush. This makes it ideal for those persons who have decreased dexterity such as the elderly or persons who are physically handicapped.

Please ask your hygienist or dentist for instructions.

 

Sonic toothbrush

Sonicare (Philips), Sonicmax (Waterpik), Sonic Complete (Oral B)

The mechanism of sonic toothbrushes is based on a new innovative technology. Sonic toothbrushes do create a very effective brushing action, primarily related to the high number of brush strokes per minute that these toothbrushes can generate. Sonic toothbrushes are capable of producing over 30,000 brush strokes per minute. Compare that number to the number of brush strokes created by brushing by hand which is generally considered to be in the neighborhood of 300 strokes per minute. The better non-sonic type electric toothbrushes typically generate somewhere between 3,000 and 7,500 brush strokes per minute, which is only about one fourth the number of brush strokes created by sonic toothbrushes.

  • reduces bacteria, plaque and gum infections
  • reducing stains on the teeth (tea, coffee, nicotine, red wine) with less abrasiveness compared with conventional cleaning methods. ess and after you feel better.

 

Interdental cleaners

The selection of interdental cleaning agents has grown considerably by now. Dental floss, Super floss, tooth picks, Proxybrush, Brushsticks, Interspace and many more.

Cleaning the interdental spaces should take place regularly, starting from an age of 12 years. It reduces both tooth decay and periodontal disease. To find the right product for your needs, ask your dentist or hygienist for advice.

 

Toothpaste

As long as your toothpaste contains fluoride, the brand you buy really does not matter. You can freely choose paste, gel, or powder form, or one containing a certain flavor. All fluoride dentifrices work effectively to fight plaque and cavities and clean and polish tooth enamel. If your teeth are hypersensitive to hot or cold, consider trying a dentifrice designed for sensitive teeth. Dentifrices containing baking soda and/or hydrogen peroxide (which are both good cleansing agents) give the teeth and mouth a clean, fresh, pleasant feeling that can offer an incentive to brush more, but fluoride is the true active ingredient at work protecting your teeth. Some prefer a tartar control toothpaste containing pyrophosphates to prevent the buildup of soft calculus deposits on their teeth. Abrasives contain a mild abrasive that works with your toothbrush to remove plaque. Generally, these abrasives take the form of silica. It is a myth that abrasives in toothpaste cause enamel to wear away. More likely, enamel abrasion occurs as a result of over-vigorous brushing.

Patients without recession, gum infection and discolorations can clean with the paste of their choice (optimal brushing technology).

Patients without recession, gum infection, but with discolorations can occasionally use more abrasive toothpaste. This, in combination with a sonic toothbrush, can be used regularly.

Patients with recession, but without gum disease and without discolorations should use a less abrasive toothpaste (RDA<40).

New pastes offer advanced whitening formulas aimed at safely removing stains to make teeth brighter and shinier (RDA>100), although they can't nearly match the effectiveness of a professional bleaching formula administered or prescribed by a dentist.

Mouthrinses

Whether it's to mask bad breath, fight cavities or prevent the buildup of plaque (the sticky material that contains germs and can lead to oral diseases), mouth rinses serve a variety of purposes.

Though they may leave your mouth with a clean, fresh taste, some rinses can be harmful by concealing bad breath and an unpleasant taste which are signs of periodontal diseases which cause inflammation and degeneration of the supporting structures of the teeth and tooth decay. Your dentist will tell you, most mouth rinses just don't wash.

Most over the counter mouthrinses contain high levels of alcohol (ranging to 18 – 26 percent). Habitual use of antiseptic mouthrinses may produce:

  • a burning sensation in the cheeks, teeth and gums.
  • it can cause intoxication if swallowed, used excessively, or used by children.

Therapeutic rinses also can be categorized into types according to use:

  • anti plaque / anti gingivitis rinses
  • anti caries fluoride rinses; 0,025% Fluoride (250 ppm)

Those who love to eat apples, sour drops, fruits and drink juices, should not immediately brush the teeth after consuming them: The acid attacks the enamel and by brushing immediately caused undue removal of microscopic layers of enamel. It is better to use a mouth rinse and to wait for at least 30 minutes before brushing.