“Tooth gels are better than toothpastes”, “You need to brush your teeth five times a day”, “The more paste on your toothbrush, the better your teeth will be cleaned” - such statements that we come across on the Internet and hear from friends often confuse us. sense and force them to follow their lead.
When visiting the dentist, patients often ask questions about toothpaste and brushes. Which toothpaste is better? What brushes should you use? How often should you brush your teeth? It is not surprising, because brushing your teeth is one of the simplest and at the same time most effective ways to care for the oral cavity and prevent various diseases of the teeth and gums. Your dentist can tell you how to brush your teeth properly and which toothpaste to choose in each case. And also dispel common myths and stereotypes about the technique of brushing teeth, about the choice of toothpaste and brush.
What do patients ask most often? And what do dentists say? We present the 10 most popular questions during an appointment with a specialist.
Question No. 1. Is it true that whitening toothpastes are harmful to teeth?
True, if you use cheap, highly abrasive pastes. The abrasive particles they contain scratch tooth enamel like scouring powder scratching a kitchen stove. There are five levels of paste abrasiveness in total. On the packaging it is marked with the index RDA (Radioactive Dentin Abrasion) and indicates the particle size.
When choosing a whitening paste for adults, you should know that its optimal level of abrasiveness is RDA 70-120. Among such pastes, LACALUT White (abrasiveness index - RDA 120), SPLAT whitening Plus, SILCA Arctic White (abrasivity index - RDA 85), PRESIDENT White have proven themselves well. Pastes with a high level of abrasiveness (120-160) should be used to clean pigmented enamel no more than twice a week. Dentists use a range of pastes, for example, PRESIDENT White Plus.”
Question No. 2. Are toothpastes that contain antiseptics safe?
Not if you use such pastes constantly. As a rule, pastes containing antiseptics (triclosan, chlorhexidine, hexitidine) are prescribed for inflammatory gum diseases. You should brush your teeth with such pastes for no more than two weeks in a row. With their frequent use, antiseptics, designed to destroy only harmful bacteria, can smoothly switch to useful ones: a certain balance between microorganisms is disturbed, resulting in painful processes.
Toothpastes containing antiseptics as the main components, for example, Lacalut Aktiv, PresiDENT Active, SPLAT Professional ACTIVE, Elmex Aronal, Blend-a-med Pro-Expert Gum Protection, are considered harmless, but for their correct use, consultation with your doctor is necessary.
Application
The excellent qualities of this paste are obvious for caries, gingivitis, and bleeding from the gums. It is also relevant for periodontal disease. In general, Elgidium toothpaste is suitable for those who want to carry out high-quality prevention of caries and gum disease. This will avoid serious problems and get rid of many oral diseases. Elgidium paste has a pronounced antibacterial effect. Thanks to it, you can effectively and quickly remove plaque and prevent the growth of bacteria.
Elgidium toothpaste should be used at least in the morning and evening immediately after meals. In this case, you need to brush your teeth for about two to three minutes. To achieve a positive result, it is recommended to use this product for 15-30 days. As a result, the intervals between courses of prophylaxis in this case will be from 10 to 15 days.
Question No. 3 What is better: toothpastes or gels?
According to experts, both clean teeth equally well. And besides the taste and structure (gel pastes are more transparent than regular ones due to the absence of calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide in them, which give the paste a white color), there are no significant differences between them. So whether to use toothpaste or gel is a matter of everyone’s taste! Among the most popular among patients are such dental gels as Colgate Total 12 Pro-Clean Gel, Splat Liquium-gel, Weleda paste-gel, LACALUT fluor Gel.”
Question No. 4. Is it true that toothpastes with healthy additives clean your teeth better?
Yes, if we are talking about extracts of medicinal plants such as sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, which have beneficial properties. For example, Forest Balsam paste with the addition of sage or St. John's wort does an excellent job.
However, those pastes that contain additives, such as sea salt (Dentalys paste), can cause an allergic reaction and even increased tooth sensitivity. Such pastes must be used according to the doctor’s recommendations, as a rule, no more than 1-2 times a week.”
Purpose of chlorhexidine
The drug was first produced in 1950 in the UK. Due to its medicinal properties, the component is widely used in medicine. It has antiseptic properties and is able to neutralize potentially dangerous microflora. Chlorhexidine bigluconate is actively used in dentistry. It neutralizes pathogenic bacteria and fights the development of caries.
Today, antiseptics are actively used in various fields of dentistry: therapy, surgery, orthopedics, and even in home oral hygiene. Chlorhexidine has become popular and widely used due to its high effectiveness and low cost.
The drug suppresses foci of infectious inflammation. Thanks to local application, it has virtually no effect on health. This minimizes the risk of allergic reactions and other side effects. If we compare the drug with antibiotics, we can note its greater effectiveness and ability to eliminate bacterial colonies.
Question No. 5. Does fresh breath always mean clean teeth?
Feeling fresh in your mouth is not an indicator of excellent oral hygiene. But the absence of plaque on the teeth is just convincing proof that the teeth are really clean. And if after brushing your teeth become smooth (you can check this by running your tongue over them), then you can say that the toothpaste has coped with the task.
It is especially important for smokers and coffee or strong tea drinkers to combat pigmented plaque, for example, using REMBRANDT Anti-Tobacco and Coffee toothpaste, which effectively breaks down plaque on the surface of the teeth.”
Description of Elgidium toothbrushes
In addition, the company produces a line of brushes:
- Elgidium clinic 7/100 . Ultra-soft bristles, suitable for very sensitive teeth, used in the rehabilitation period after surgery.
- Elgidium clinic 25/100 . Standard brush of medium hardness. Suitable for most consumers for daily care.
- Elgidium clinic perio . Ideal for oral hygiene during inflammatory processes: gingivitis, periodontitis, stomatitis. The flexible handle and soft v-shaped bristles clean all those hard-to-reach areas.
- Whitening . The polishing system of microgranules allows you to effectively clean the surface of your teeth, making them whiter. Medium to soft hardness.
- Elgidium baby . Designed for baby teeth and gums of children from 3 months. up to 2 years.
Question No. 6. Is it possible to whiten teeth with toothpaste in a few days?
No. No toothpaste will make your teeth perfectly white. Unscrupulous manufacturers attract the attention of consumers with sophisticated advertising campaigns, and for greater “effect” they add coarse abrasives or peroxides to their products, which not only remove plaque from teeth, but also harm the enamel.
If the desire to have a snow-white smile is very great, you can get closer to your cherished goal! Professional teeth cleaning and whitening in a dental setting will help achieve the desired result.”
Question No. 7. Can children use adult toothpaste?
No, because the fluoride contained in the toothpaste is good for teeth, but swallowing it is harmful. And small children, sometimes unknowingly, swallow up to 35% of toothpaste while brushing.
Therefore, special children's toothpaste is produced for children with a low fluoride content (up to 500 ppm), and to make brushing teeth seem more pleasant to the baby, special flavoring additives are added (the taste of berries, chewing gum, etc.).
Parents should remember that children under 6 years of age should brush their teeth under their supervision to prevent the child from swallowing the toothpaste. To get acquainted with children’s toothpaste, you can choose products from brands such as ROCS kids, Splat junior, Colgate, LACALUT or Silca.”
Elgydium toothpastes with chlorhexidine
The products belong to the category of therapeutic and prophylactic agents. The drug has become the most common among antiseptic compounds, so we will consider it separately.
The hygiene product can effectively eliminate pathologies as part of therapeutic treatment. In the future it can be used to prevent relapses. The main active ingredient was fluorinol, developed by the Pierre Fabre laboratory and patented. It integrates 5 times better into weakened enamel, restores the surface of the teeth and protects it from damage by caries.
A distinctive feature is the presence of chlorhexidine in the formulation. It prevents the formation of pathogenic bacteria and viruses in the oral cavity. Promotes restoration of soft tissues.
The products appeared on the Russian market in 1993. In 2009, a subsidiary was opened, which expanded the brand's capabilities. Now hygiene products can be purchased everywhere in pharmacy chains. Let's take a closer look at the types of products presented.
Elgidium “Anti-plaque”
Calcium carbonate and chlorhexidine are used as active components of the composition. The first neutralizes the acidic environment and maintains healthy microflora in the oral cavity. The second neutralizes pathogenic microorganisms, reduces the intensity of their re-formation, which avoids the occurrence of caries.
When used as a medicine, it restores collagen bonds in the periodontium. This helps eliminate bleeding and pain.
According to the instructions, continuous use of the hygienic composition is allowed for a month. Then you need to take a two-week break. Resume therapy only after agreement with the dentist.
Elgidium "Sensitive"
Toothpaste is recommended for sensitive teeth with damaged structure. It relieves pain, strengthens hard tissues and reduces susceptibility to aggressive factors.
Fluorinol is responsible for recovery. It penetrates deeply into the dentinal tubules, blocks them and prevents pain. The composition is used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of diseases.
The product is contraindicated for children under 12 years of age and those with individual intolerance to the components present in the recipe.
The advantages of the product are quick results, high remineralizing ability, effective resistance to the bacterial environment and elimination of oral pathologies.
Elgidium "Whitening"
Toothpaste contains calcium bicarbonate particles. They even affect hard-to-reach areas of enamel, remove plaque and give the surface a snow-white structure. Thanks to gentle cleaning, there is no damage to the enamel surface. This allows the product to be used for gentle removal of tartar.
The optimal course of use of the drug is 2-4 weeks. If longer application is necessary, take a two-week break. The active substances may cause adverse reactions if swallowed. If allergic reactions or irritation occur during the cleaning process, the course of therapy needs to be adjusted.
