The oral cavity is an important part of the human body and is the beginning of the digestive system, mainly composed of lips, cheeks, tongue, palate, salivary glands, teeth and jawbone, etc. It has the functions of chewing, swallowing, speech and sensation, and maintains the normal shape of the jaw and face. There are two sets of teeth in a person’s life, one set of milk teeth with 20 teeth and one set of permanent teeth with 28 to 32 teeth.
Many factors can interfere with oral health and prevent it from exercising its normal function, so that a person’s appearance image and social interaction are affected, in addition, oral diseases can also directly or indirectly affect the health of the whole body and affect the quality of life. In order to promote Chinese residents to pay attention to oral health, popularize oral health care knowledge, improve oral health care behavior and enhance oral health, the “Oral Health Guidelines for Chinese Residents” is formulated. There are 55 articles in the Guide, divided into general population, maternity, infants and children, preschool children, school-age children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, for use by relevant groups.
I. Oral health is the foundation of general health
Oral health is an important part of the health of the whole body. In 2007, the World Health Organization proposed that oral disease is a serious public health problem and needs to be actively prevented and treated. Oral health includes “absence of chronic oral and maxillofacial pain, oropharyngeal cancer, oral ulcers, congenital defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal (gum) disease, caries, tooth loss and other diseases and functional disorders affecting the oral cavity.”
Oral health directly or indirectly affects the health of the whole body. Oral diseases such as caries and periodontal diseases will destroy the hard tissues of teeth and the supporting tissues around teeth, which will cause difficulties in social interaction and psychological disorders in addition to affecting the functions of chewing, speech and aesthetics. The long-term presence of some microorganisms in the oral cavity can cause or aggravate certain systemic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, etc., which endanger the health of the whole body and affect the quality of life.
The impact of systemic diseases on oral health should not be ignored, some systemic diseases may appear in the oral cavity with corresponding symptoms. For example, diabetic patients have a reduced ability to resist infection, often accompanied by periodontitis and difficult to heal tooth extraction wounds. AIDS patients have early oral lesions, such as oral candidiasis, hairy white spots, Kapozi sarcoma, etc.
Second, caries and periodontal disease are the two most common diseases that endanger the oral health of our residents
According to the national oral health epidemiological survey, caries (commonly known as worm tooth or tooth decay) and periodontal disease (including gingivitis and periodontitis) are the two most common diseases that endanger the oral health of our residents, and the treatment is more complicated and costs 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 the 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 Difficulties in chewing, 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 will 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.
Brush your teeth in the morning and evening, rinse your mouth after meals
Brushing can remove plaque, soft tartar and food residue, maintain oral hygiene and healthy teeth and periodontal tissues. After brushing for a few hours to remove plaque, the plaque can be reattached on the clean surface of the teeth and keep forming, especially after going to sleep at night, saliva secretion decreases and the self-cleaning effect of the mouth is poor, so bacteria are more likely to grow. Therefore, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day, and it is even more important to brush your teeth at night before going to bed. Combine brushing with a tongue brush to clean the back of the tongue can significantly improve oral odor. Rinsing after meals can remove food debris from the mouth and keep it clean. Chewing sugar-free chewing gum can also stimulate saliva secretion, reduce oral acidity, help fresh breath, clean teeth.
Fourth, do one person a brush a cup
In the same family, everyone’s age is different, physical health is different, oral health conditions are also different, and therefore 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 the spread of diseases to each other. Therefore, a person must do a toothbrush and a mouth cup, each placed separately to avoid cross-infection.
Five, the correct choice and use of mouthwash
Clear water rinse can remove food residues in the mouth, but its removal power is weak and not enough to remove plaque. At present, some commercially available mouthwashes have added certain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory substances, which have certain auxiliary effects on plaque control and oral health maintenance. For example, fluoride mouthwash is a local fluoride caries prevention method, suitable for use in schools and families in low-fluoride areas and fluoride-friendly areas; chlorhexidine mouthwash can kill bacteria in saliva and adsorbed to the dental surface, suitable for use by patients with periodontal disease; mouthwash with essential oil as the main active ingredient has a broad-spectrum sterilization effect, suitable for daily use. There are also mouthwash can be gargled when suffering from stomatitis, lip inflammation, to prevent infection and promote the role of wound healing.
Sixth, promote the use of horizontal trembling brush method to brush teeth
The horizontal trembling brush method is a brushing method that can effectively remove plaque in the gingival sulcus. Brush is to gently brush, master this brushing method, can help to remove the plaque of each tooth surface, and at the same time can effectively remove the plaque in the neck and gingival sulcus. The specific operation is: ① hold the toothbrush handle, first place the brush head in the mouth on one side of the back teeth neck, the bristles and tooth long axis is about 45 ° angle, the bristles point to the root direction (maxillary teeth up, mandibular teeth down), slight pressure, so that the bristles part into the gingival sulcus, part on the gums; ② to 2 ~ 3 teeth as a group to start brushing, with a short distance horizontal chattering round trip action in the same part Brush at least 10 times, then turn the toothbrush toward the crown and continue to brush the labial (buccal) 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 area of overlap with the first part, and continue to brush 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.
Seven, advocate the use of health care toothbrushes, pay attention to timely replacement
Health care toothbrush has the following characteristics: ① brush head small, so that in the mouth (especially the back of the mouth) turn freely; ② bristles arranged reasonably, generally 10 ~ 12 bundles long, 3 ~ 4 bundles wide, there is a certain distance between the bundles, not only conducive to the effective removal of plaque, but also make the toothbrush itself easy to clean; ③ bristles softer, bristles length appropriate, bristles top grinding rounded blunt, to avoid toothbrush damage to teeth and gums; ④ Toothbrush handle length, width is moderate, and has a non-slip design, making it easy to grip and feel comfortable.
After brushing, there are often food residues and bacteria stuck between toothbrush bristles, which may lead to the spread of diseases. After brushing, rinse the toothbrush with water and shake the water from the bristles, and place the brush head upwards in the mouth cup in a ventilated place. To prevent toothbrushes from harboring bacteria, a toothbrush should generally be replaced every three months or so. If the bristles are bent or fallen, it will cause damage to the hard and soft tissues of the mouth, so it needs to be replaced immediately.
Eight, advocate the choice of dental floss or interdental brush to assist in cleaning the gap between the teeth
The gap between the teeth is called the adjacent gap or the gap between the teeth, and the gap is most likely to retain plaque and soft scale. When brushing teeth, the bristles of the toothbrush cannot fully reach the interdental space. If you can use dental floss or interdental brush to help clean the interdental space 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 papilla is not receding and there is difficulty in insertion, do not force it to enter so as not to damage the gums.
Nine, according to the oral health needs to choose toothpaste, advocate the use of fluoride toothpaste to prevent caries
Toothpaste is a preparation to assist brushing, which can enhance the friction of brushing, help to remove food debris, soft scale and plaque, help to eliminate or reduce oral odor and make the breath fresh. Adults only need to use about 1 gram (about 1 cm in length) of paste per brushing. If other active ingredients such as fluoride, antibacterial medications, tartar control and anti-sensitivity chemicals are added to the toothpaste paste, they have caries prevention, plaque reduction, tartar formation inhibition and anti-tooth sensitivity effects, respectively.
Fluoride toothpaste has obvious caries prevention effect and its wide application worldwide is one of the main reasons for the significant decrease of caries incidence. Brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste is a safe and effective anti-caries measure, especially suitable for children and the elderly who have a tendency to suffer from caries. However, it should be noted that toothpaste is not medicine, it can only prevent oral diseases but not treat oral diseases, if you have oral diseases, you should seek medical treatment in time.
Ten, scientific use of fluorine is beneficial to dental and general health
Fluorine is a kind of trace element which is necessary for human health, 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 application, 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 in low fluoride areas, moderate fluoride areas and in high risk groups in areas with high caries incidence.
Eat sugar scientifically and drink less carbonated drinks
Sugar is one of the main nutritional elements of human beings, the main source of energy of human body, the flavoring agent of many foods and beverages, and also a recognized risk factor to cause caries. It is mainly sucrose, followed by glucose and starch, etc., which can easily cause caries. If you often consume too much sugary sweets or drink too much carbonated drinks, it will lead to tooth demineralization and cause caries or tooth sensitivity.
Therefore, it is very important to promote the science of sugar consumption. The more times you eat sugar, the greater the chance of tooth damage, so you should try to reduce the number of times you eat sugar every day; drink less carbonated drinks, rinse your mouth with water or tea after eating, and not eat again after brushing your teeth at night before going to bed.
Twelve, 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, smokers are five 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.
Thirteen, at least once a year for oral health examination
Oral diseases such as caries and periodontal disease often occur slowly. In the early stage, there is no obvious symptom, and it is not easy to detect, and when pain and other uncomfortable symptoms appear, the disease may have already reached the middle and late stage, and the treatment is very complicated, and the patient will suffer more pain and spend more money, and the treatment effect may not be very satisfactory. Therefore, regular oral health checkups, at least once a year, can detect oral diseases in time for early treatment. Doctors will also take appropriate preventive measures to prevent the occurrence of oral diseases and control the development of oral diseases according to the needs of the situation.
Fourteen, advocate annual dental cleaning (scaling) once
Plaque, food residues, soft tartar are deposited on the tooth surface, combined with the minerals in saliva and gradually calcified to form tartar. The rough surface of tartar causes bad stimulation to the gums and is conducive to the adhesion of new plaque, which is a contributing factor to 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 an oral surgeon using scaling instruments to remove tartar and plaque deposited in 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.
Fifteen, oral discomfort, pain, bleeding gums, odor and other symptoms should be promptly consulted
Oral diseases can be manifested as pain or discomfort symptoms. For example, caries is often manifested as discomfort in hot and cold stimulation, discomfort or pain in biting; pulpitis will occur as severe spontaneous pain, night pain; gingivitis will appear in the early stage of gum bleeding when brushing teeth or biting hard objects; mouth ulcers are accompanied by painful sensation triggered by touching the affected area; sensitive teeth will have a short and sharp pain when encountering cold, hot, sour, sweet stimulation, etc. Bad breath is 80% to 90% caused by oral diseases, mainly due to anaerobic bacteria in the mouth through corruption and digestion of stagnant substances in the mouth to produce volatile sulfide. The above situation should be as soon as possible to have the practice of qualified oral health care institutions for treatment.
Sixteen, timely restoration of missing teeth
Teeth have the function of chewing food, assisting in pronunciation and maintaining the shape of the face. Missing teeth are prone to chewing difficulties, food embedding, elongation of the teeth, and tilting of neighboring teeth. Loss of front teeth can also lead to mispronunciation and changes in facial shape, 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 performed. 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.
Seventeen, choose the medical institutions with practice qualifications for oral health care and treatment
Oral health care and treatment, must choose to have the practice of qualified oral health care institutions, in order to ensure good medical quality and strict infection control. The so-called dental medical institutions with practice qualification refers to the dental clinics, outpatient clinics, general hospital dentistry and dental hospitals that have been registered and obtained the “medical institution practice license” according to the “Medical Institution Management Regulations” and “Medical Institution Management Regulations Rules”.
In the process of dental diagnosis and treatment work, the patient’s blood, saliva contaminated diagnosis and treatment instruments, etc. are the risk factors causing cross-infection. Qualified medical institutions have a complete set of infection control management system, measures and sterilization equipment to ensure that one person, one handpiece and one sterilization can completely eliminate cross-infection in the treatment process. Moreover, the dentists of qualified medical institutions should be educated in dentistry and trained in clinical medical skills, qualified and registered to practice medicine, and have the ability to solve patients’ illnesses.