This year’s theme is Healthy Mouth, Happy Family; the subtopic is Caring for Children, Preventing Dental Caries.
Oral health care starts from ourselves.
1.Caries and periodontal diseases are the two most common diseases that endanger the oral health of our residents
The national oral health epidemiological survey shows that caries (commonly known as worm teeth or tooth decay) and periodontal disease (including gingivitis and periodontitis) are the two most common diseases that endanger the oral health of our residents, which are more complicated to treat and cost more time and money.
The change of color, shape and texture of the hard tissue of decayed teeth occurs gradually due to certain bacteria in the mouth, using the sugar in food to ferment and produce acid. In the early stage of caries, there is no pain and discomfort, and only when the doctor examines the tooth, he can find the black spot or white spot on the tooth surface; further development can form a cavity, and when it encounters acid, sweet, cold, hot stimulation, etc., it will feel pain and discomfort; when it is serious, the pain caused by cold and hot stimulation is very obvious; if it is not treated in time, finally the tooth body will be destroyed and become the residual root, residual crown, and even lead to the loss of teeth, causing serious chewing If not treated in time, the tooth will eventually be destroyed and become a stump or crown, or even lead to tooth loss, causing serious chewing difficulties and affecting health.
Periodontal diseases are various diseases that occur in the supporting tissues around the teeth (dental bone, alveolar bone, gums, periodontal membrane). If not treated in time, gum recession, alveolar bone resorption, periodontal pocket formation, tooth loosening and displacement, and sometimes periodontal pus overflow, oral odor, and finally tooth loss or extraction can occur. Therefore, periodontal disease is the main cause of tooth loss in adults.
The two major oral diseases mentioned above are mainly caused by dental plaque. Therefore, removing plaque through self oral health care and professional oral health care is the basis of maintaining oral health.
2.Do one person, one brush, one cup
In the same family, everyone’s age is different, the health condition is different, and the oral health condition is also different, so they have different oral health care needs. According to the different conditions of each person, should choose the toothbrush and toothpaste suitable for each person’s needs. If a family shares a toothbrush and a mouthwash cup, it may cause mutual transmission of diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to do a person a toothbrush and a mouth cup, each placed separately to avoid cross-infection.
3.Promote the use of horizontal shaking brush method to brush teeth
The horizontal chattering brush method is a kind of brushing method that can effectively remove plaque in the gingival sulcus. Brush is to gently brush, mastering this brushing method can help remove the plaque on each tooth surface, and at the same time can effectively remove the plaque in the neck of the teeth and gingival sulcus. The specific operation is: ① hold the handle of the toothbrush, first place the brush head in the neck of the back teeth on one side of the mouth, the bristles are at an angle of about 45° with the long axis of the teeth, the bristles point to the root direction (maxillary teeth upward, mandibular teeth downward), apply slight pressure so that the bristles partially enter the gingival sulcus and partially place on the gums; ② start brushing with 2~3 teeth as a group, use a short distance of horizontal chattering back and forth action in the same part Brush at least 10 times, then turn the toothbrush toward the crown and continue brushing the labial (cheek) and lingual (palatal) surfaces of the teeth; ③After brushing the first part, move the toothbrush to the next group of 2~3 teeth and reposition it, paying attention to the overlapping area with the first part, and continue brushing the next part; ④When brushing the lingual surface of the upper front teeth, place the brush head vertically on the tooth surface so that the anterior bristles touch the gingival margin. Brush from top to bottom. When brushing the lingual surface of the lower front teeth, brush from the bottom up; ⑤ When brushing the occlusal surface, point the bristles to the occlusal surface and brush back and forth for a short distance with slight force.
4, advocate the choice of dental floss or interdental brush to assist in cleaning the gap between teeth
The gap between the teeth is called the adjacent gap or the gap between the teeth, the gap is most likely to retain plaque and soft scale. When brushing teeth, the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach the gap completely. If you can use dental floss or interdental brush to help clean the gap while brushing your teeth every day, you can achieve the purpose of thoroughly cleaning your teeth.
Floss is made of nylon, silk or polyester thread, which helps to clean the gap between the adjacent surfaces or the gum papillae, especially for flat or convex surfaces. The interdental brush has a metal wire head with soft bristles attached around it and is suitable for patients with receding gums and exposed roots to remove plaque from the tooth and root surfaces at the interdental space. When using it, it should be noted that if the gingival papillae are not receding and there is difficulty in insertion, do not enter reluctantly to avoid damaging the gums.
5.Scientific use of fluorine is beneficial to dental and general health
Fluorine is a trace element necessary for human health, and the intake of appropriate amount of fluoride can reduce the solubility of teeth and promote the remineralization of teeth, inhibit the growth of oral microorganisms and prevent the occurrence of caries. The application of fluoride can be divided into systemic application and local application. Systemic application includes: drinking water fluoridation, salt fluoridation, milk fluoridation, fluoride tablets, fluoride drops; local application includes: fluoride toothpaste, fluoride mouthwash, topical fluoride coating, fluoride paint, fluoride foam, fluoride gel, etc. However, excessive fluorine intake by human body can also lead to some side effects, so the promotion and application of fluoride is suitable for the high-risk population in low-fluoride areas, moderate fluoride areas and in areas with high incidence of caries.
6.Smoking is harmful to oral health
Smoking is the main risk factor for oral cancer, more than 90% of oral cancer patients are smokers. Smoking is also one of the main risk factors for periodontal disease, and smokers are 5 times more likely to suffer from periodontal disease than non-smokers. Pregnant women who smoke or passively smoke can cause oral and maxillofacial malformations in the fetus. Smokers often have brown plaque and tartar on the surface of the teeth, causing oral odor, affecting personal appearance and social interaction.
7, advocate annual dental cleaning (scaling) once
Plaque, food debris, soft tartar on the surface of the teeth attached to the deposit, combined with the saliva minerals, and gradually calcified to form tartar. The rough surface of tartar causes bad stimulation to the gums and facilitates the adhesion of new plaque, which is a promoting factor for periodontal diseases. Self oral health care methods can only remove plaque, not tartar. Therefore, regular dental cleaning by a dentist is required, preferably once a year. Scaling is performed by a dentist using a scaling instrument to remove tartar and plaque from the supra- and subgingival areas around the gingival margin. There may be slight bleeding during the cleaning process and temporary tooth sensitivity may occur afterwards, but it does not usually damage the gums or teeth, and it does not cause thinning or loosening of the teeth. Regular dental cleaning can maintain strong teeth and periodontal health.
8, timely restoration of missing teeth
Teeth have the function of chewing food, assisting pronunciation and maintaining the shape of the face. Missing teeth are prone to chewing difficulties, food embedment, and the elongation of neighboring teeth. Tooth elongation, adjacent teeth tilt, etc. Loss of front teeth can also lead to inaccurate pronunciation and changes in facial morphology, and the loss of all teeth makes chewing very difficult and facial appearance significantly older.
Therefore, regardless of the number of teeth lost, timely prosthetic restoration should be carried out. Restoration is usually done 2 to 3 months after tooth extraction. Before restoration, the remaining teeth should be treated for diseases, and the alveolar bone and soft tissues should be trimmed if necessary to ensure the quality of the restoration. At present, the main restorations for missing teeth are movable restorations and fixed restorations (including fixed bridges and implant dentures). The specific choice of restoration method should be based on the patient’s oral conditions and subjective requirements.