What Is Oral and Dental Care
Oral and dental care is very important for a healthy mouth, a beautiful smile design, and leaving a good first impression on people. Oral and dental health greatly affects people's daily lives and is also highly important in terms of nutrition, speech, and aesthetic appearance. People who do not maintain regular oral care cannot chew food and drinks sufficiently well, and may even have difficulty producing sounds when speaking. The purpose of oral care is to keep bacterial plaque under control in the mouth and to prevent possible oral problems.
The Importance of Oral Health We Prepared as Doka Klinik Oral and Dental Health Polyclinic
What You Need to Know
This formation, also called bacterial plaque or dental plaque, is the main cause of cavities, gum inflammation, and tartar on teeth. Oral hygiene is a process that individuals can easily carry out by dedicating enough time. Oral care, which is the most important part of personal care, is a routine that should be maintained daily. For a healthy mouth, teeth should be brushed at least 2 times a day for at least 2 minutes each time. Oral care is an issue that should be paid attention to from the growth period onward. Children whose oral care is given attention from infancy develop healthy and properly aligned permanent teeth that replace their baby teeth. For this reason, oral and dental care should be carried out from a very early age and become a habit.
How Should Oral Care Be Performed
A healthy mouth has an importance that affects all of a person's daily functions. How should oral care be performed;
For the care of the teeth and gums in the mouth, teeth should be brushed at least 2 times a day, upward and downward, with fluoride toothpaste and a toothbrush of suitable softness for your teeth.
The tongue should be cleaned with a toothbrush or a tongue cleaner.
To prevent the formation of plaque and tartar, the materials left between the teeth after each brushing should be cleaned using dental floss.
After brushing, mouthwash should be used for a cleaner mouth.
Attention should be paid to sugar and sugar-containing foods that will create plaque and cavities on teeth.
Tea, coffee, and cigarette use should be minimized so that there are no stains or yellowing on the teeth.
You should have your oral and dental check-ups carried out regularly by a dentist every 6 months.
What Is Used in Oral and Dental Care
The products and materials used to carry out healthy oral care are also very important. What is used in oral care;
Toothbrush
Toothbrushes chosen with a softness suitable for the teeth should be made of nylon bristles.
Toothpaste
Used together with a good toothbrush, toothpaste should be a product with a high fluoride concentration and containing antibacterial agents.
Dental Floss
It is used to clean the spaces between the teeth that the toothbrush cannot reach during brushing.
Mouthwashes
Mouthwashes that prevent the multiplication of bacteria formed in the mouth eliminate bad breath and prevent the development of microorganisms. Mouthwashes do not provide much benefit when used alone. To achieve higher efficiency, they should be used after the teeth have been brushed and cleaned with dental floss.
Interdental Brushes
Specially prepared brushes for the spaces between the teeth are used to brush between the teeth.
How Should the Correct Tooth Brushing Method Be
Tooth brushing is the most important action for oral and dental health. To get the most out of brushing, teeth must be brushed properly and well.
Brushing should be done in a sweeping motion from the gums toward the teeth.
The toothbrush should be held like a pen, not in the palm of the hand.
The brushing process from the gums to the teeth should be applied to all areas of the mouth that have gums.
This brushing method is not valid for the grooves on the chewing surface of the molars. On this surface, brushing is done with back-and-forth movements.
Tooth brushing is completed by brushing each tooth 3 or 4 times.
People who brush regularly finish brushing in an average of 2 minutes. This process should be repeated after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night.
Chemical Plaque Control Used in Oral Care
The products used in chemical plaque control are mouthwashes. Sometimes mechanical cleaning becomes necessary for the regular care of oral and dental health. Mouthwashes provide benefits when used alongside regular oral care. In addition to the cleaning done after oral care, mouthwashes are used after each brushing. Daily mouthwashes are sold over the counter in pharmacies and markets, while antibacterial mouthwashes are used only on the recommendation of dentists.
Rinsing after meals is very useful for removing food debris left from meals from the mouth and teeth. Mouthwashes recommended by dentists are used for therapeutic and professional procedures. Since mouthwashes leave a clean and fresh feeling in the mouth, they are recommended to patients according to their individual needs.
Why Is Oral Care Important
Oral hygiene is the most important factor affecting the health and quality of life of all age groups. Oral care, which is not given much attention in our country, causes dental and gum diseases over time. According to research, it has been determined that 85-90 out of every 100 people have dental and gum problems. The importance of oral care mainly affects eating, drinking, and chewing functions. Oral hygiene, which affects people's daily lives in every aspect, also causes problems with smiling and speaking in social life. If not done properly and regularly, it will reveal different diseases that will occur in the mouth and even in the digestive system.
Health Problems That Arise When Regular Oral Care Is Not Performed
Oral care affects social life and is also the cause of many health problems. Health problems that arise when regular oral care is not performed;
Permanent respiratory diseases
Risk of premature birth during pregnancy
Stomach and intestinal diseases
Orthopedic diseases
Circulatory system disorders arising through the blood
Digestive system disorders
The article on the symptoms and causes of oral and dental diseases
will guide you.
When Should Oral Care Be Performed in Children
In order for a person to make oral care a habit in later years, this habit must be acquired in childhood. Oral care in infancy begins when they are 6-8 months old, that is, when their first teeth appear in the mouth. Since there is a risk of swallowing in babies, toothpaste use is not recommended until the age of 2. After the age of 2, teeth are brushed by placing a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush. In babies under the age of 2, teeth can be wiped with a clean muslin cloth or gauze after breakfast in the morning and before going to bed at night. Apart from these, soft toothbrushes produced for babies can also be preferred. In children under the age of 7, tooth brushing according to a technique is quite difficult. At this age, the main thing is to instill the habit of brushing teeth in the child. During tooth brushing, children should be under the supervision of their parents for a certain period. The reason for this is that parents provide children with the appropriate training for oral health.
Oral Care in the Elderly
With aging, body resistance decreases in people and oral diseases emerge. In elderly people with poor oral care, nutrition and systemic diseases affect dental health over time and weaken the oral structure with excessive medication use. When oral and dental care in the elderly is not performed regularly, certain changes occur in the mouth. These are;
Wear on the teeth Gum recession and sensitivity Darkening and staining of tooth color Limitation in oral movements Tooth loss and tooth fractures Appearance of oral sores Decreased saliva secretion Increase in tooth decay Weakening of oral tissue, teeth, and muscles Decrease in the sense of taste Dryness in the mouth
You can reach our specialist physicians at Doka Klinik oral and dental care health polyclinic through our 24/7 communication channels
Doka Klinik Dental Team
This article is for information only; please consult our dentists for a treatment plan tailored to you.
