Prevention of caries development in children and adults

In this article

• In what cases does dental caries develop: risk factors
• Prevention of dental caries: primary, secondary and tertiary
• Methods of primary prevention of caries
• The role of nutrition in preventing dental caries
• How to reduce the adverse effects of carbohydrates on teeth
• Strengthening the immune system and reducing stress factors as methods for preventing dental caries
• Drug prophylaxis
• Sealing dental fissures as caries prevention
• Personal oral hygiene as protection against caries
• How to brush your teeth correctly to avoid caries?
• Chewing gums as caries prevention

According to official statistics from the World Health Organization, almost 100% of the world's population has dental caries. Modern dentistry offers effective methods for treating this disease, but prevention plays the most important role in preventing caries.

In what cases does dental caries develop: risk factors

The condition of teeth is one of the main indicators of the overall health of the human body. Therefore, preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of caries development are an important element of comprehensive health improvement. To protect teeth from carious lesions, it is necessary to understand what contributes to the development of the disease.

There are three main risk factors:

• dental plaque and the microbes it contains;
• increased amount of sugar in food;
• lack of fluoride in food and water.

In addition to these main factors in the development of caries, to varying degrees, the risk of pathology may depend on the level of solar radiation, gender and age, climatic and geographical living conditions. The likelihood of illness increases with pathological pregnancies, systemic and acute infectious diseases, during radiotherapy and other influences that weaken the immune system. An important risk factor is insufficient or improper dental and oral hygiene.

Comprehensive prevention of caries in adults involves influencing the main risk factors using different methods. Thanks to such preventive measures, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the risk of developing dental caries.

Prevention of caries in adults

Adult men and women who do not have serious chronic diseases are offered a full range of possible preventive measures aimed at counteracting the possible manifestation of caries.

Comprehensive prevention usually includes the elimination of a potentially dangerous cariogenic situation, as well as a significant increase in disease resistance of all structures of the oral cavity, both generally and locally.

Main activities include:

• 1. Systemic oral care using toothpaste/powder, rinsing solutions, threads, etc.;
• 2. Refusal of bad habits that can indirectly provoke caries - smoking and alcohol;
• 3. Use of special sugar-free chewing gum based on xylitol, which additionally cleanses the oral cavity;
• 4. Significant correction of the daily diet with the exclusion of foods rich in sugar and simple carbohydrates from the diet;
• 5. Dental methods for caries prevention - fluoridation and sealing of fissures with polymer compositions;
• 6. Regular preventive examinations at the dentist, at least once every six months. Mandatory treatment of any non-carious diseases, pathologies and dental problems.

Prevention of dental caries: primary, secondary and tertiary

In modern dentistry, there are three important stages of caries prevention. Primary prevention helps prevent the development of dental caries. It involves performing procedures that eliminate the factors and causes that provoke the disease. Secondary allows you to detect the disease at an early stage and take measures that will stop its development and prevent its reappearance. Tertiary is a set of measures after the main treatment. It can be aimed at restoring dentition, chewing function, or the lost appearance of teeth.

Causes of the disease

The leading cause of caries is the activity of oral bacteria. The normal microflora of the mouth consists of many microorganisms. Among them there is a group of cariogenic bacteria that negatively affect the enamel. In the absence of factors that weaken the body’s defense response, the number of opportunistic microorganisms does not exceed the norm and the disease does not develop. But if there are too many bacteria, the organic acid they produce begins to gradually dissolve areas of the enamel layer. Primary prevention of caries is aimed at eliminating the causes and conditions that contribute to its occurrence.

The following factors contribute to the development of the carious process:

• disorders of mineral metabolism in the body;
• changes in the composition of saliva (increased viscosity);
• abnormal bite;
• crowded teeth;
• poor oral hygiene;
• addiction to sweet, sticky, viscous foods;
• cracks, chips of enamel;
• heredity;
• deficiency of fluorine, calcium, phosphorus in drinking water and food;
• reduced immunity.

The causes of caries are different, but the main mechanism of development is the same - lack or lack of oral hygiene. Primary prevention of dental diseases begins with regular removal of bacterial plaque, which creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of cariogenic microorganisms. This differs from secondary prevention, which consists of treating the disease and its complications.

Methods of primary prevention of caries

They are divided into endogenous (impact on internal factors) and exogenous (impact directly on the tooth surface).

Endogenous prevention measures include:

• complete, balanced, varied diet;
• activities aimed at strengthening the immune system;
• elimination of stress factors;
• taking vitamin and mineral supplements and saturating the body with fluoride, calcium and other microelements necessary for dental health.

Exogenous prevention of caries is:

• brushing your teeth daily using a good toothbrush, toothpaste and floss;
• professional cleaning by a dentist twice a year;
• treatment of tooth enamel with preparations containing fluoride;
• limited consumption of sweets and other foods rich in carbohydrates;
• use of chewing gum;
• sealing fissures (natural pits and grooves) on children's teeth.

Comprehensive caries prevention measures help reduce the likelihood of its occurrence several times.

Professional procedures - modern caries prevention

Preventive measures can be applied at home, but there are also professional ones.
Modern dentistry provides a number of useful manipulations for the successful removal of dental plaque and restoration of mineral balance. It is recommended to have a professional cleaning done at your doctor's office twice a year. If the oral cavity is in good condition, this is enough to maintain health. Patients who wear bite alignment appliances should undergo this procedure at least three times a year. The same goes for people who frequently drink coffee or tea, as well as smokers. In this case, they develop pigmented plaque too quickly and require regular cleaning.

Professionals identify several types of caries prevention using:

1. Air Flow - used to remove soft deposits. A mixture consisting of water, gentle abrasive components and air is sprayed onto the teeth and delicately cleanses their surface.
2. Ultrasound - helps get rid of hard deposits called stones.

These are common types of cleaning, but in some cases other methods can be used, for example, if the patient has large subgingival stones. Finally, the surface is polished to a smooth finish, which helps prevent future plaque buildup.

Fluoroprophylaxis and remineralization

As an effective measure for the prevention of dental caries, dentists use fluoride-containing preparations. The principle of their operation is very simple. Tiny fluoride particles penetrate the enamel structure, saturate it and restore it. As a result, resistance to the negative effects of external acids increases. Moreover, the component inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria, which is why plaque does not form as intensively.

Professional remineralization with fluoride

To maintain oral health, it is very important to maintain the mineral balance of hard tissues. In normal condition, the enamel layer provides effective protection against the influence of adverse factors and prevents tooth decay. If a person eats a lot of sweets or is not concerned enough about hygiene, a gap appears in this barrier.

Remineralization is an effective way to prevent caries. Allows you to restore the natural structure of the enamel. For this, doctors use special formulations with fluoride and calcium. They replenish mineral deficiencies, strengthen the protective barrier and reduce sensitivity.

Various methods of applying drugs are used:

• direct;
• baths;
• rubbing;
• applications;
• electrophoresis;
• rinsing.

Dentists at the Dentika clinic will professionally restore thinned enamel, eliminate erosions, cracks and other damage.

Fissure sealing

There are natural grooves on the chewing surface of the teeth. For some people, their anatomy causes food particles to accumulate in these areas that are difficult to remove during routine brushing. Sealing the recesses completely solves this problem.

This procedure is also used to prevent the early development of caries in children. Using a special sealant, dentists mechanically seal the fissures. At the Dentika clinic, modern and high-quality compounds are used for these purposes: Fluoride varnish, Composeal and Duraphat.

The role of nutrition in preventing dental caries

One of the effective measures to combat caries is the correct approach to nutrition. The tissues of the oral cavity are sensitive to the lack of certain food components. In particular, a lack of protein in the diet prevents the accumulation of calcium and disrupts the structure and strength of enamel. At the same time, foods that are too fatty increase the permeability of the enamel, which increases the likelihood of the formation of carious lesions.

An excess of refined carbohydrates (sweets, flour products, sugar) in the diet not only reduces the resistance of teeth to the development of caries, but also weakens the immune defense, which is also a risk factor.

To prevent caries, it is important to adhere to the following dietary recommendations:

• A sufficient amount of protein must be present in the daily diet;
• eat foods containing vitamins C, D and group B;
• be sure to eat foods rich in calcium and phosphorus (milk, cheese, eggs, fish, broccoli, legumes), as well as fluoride-containing foods (sea fish, Georgian tea);
• it is necessary to limit the consumption of foods rich in “fast” carbohydrates, eat as little sweets, cakes and refined sugar as possible;
• Avoid sticky products: they can remain on the surface of tooth enamel for up to an hour, contributing to its demineralization for a long time.

The nature of your diet directly affects the condition of your teeth. A rational, fortified, balanced diet is an effective method of non-drug prevention of caries.

Which toothbrush is better

Electric toothbrushes are many times more expensive than regular ones. But it does seem to make sense in terms of plaque and gingivitis control.

Researchers compared the teeth of adults and children who used electric and regular toothbrushes. Within a month, it turned out that among representatives of the first group, plaque formation decreased by 11%, and after three months - by 21%. After a month of using electric toothbrushes, the incidence of gingivitis decreased by 6%, and after 3 months - by 11%.

Models with a rotating head cope best with plaque.

How to reduce the adverse effects of carbohydrates on teeth

Fermentation of carbohydrates under the influence of microbes leads to the production of organic acid, which destroys tooth enamel and contributes to the development of caries. It is impossible to completely stop eating carbohydrates, but it is quite possible to reduce the intensity of their influence on the development of caries. The following measures will help with this:

• Reducing the amount and, most importantly, the frequency of eating carbohydrate foods, so that the teeth come into contact with carbohydrates as little as possible.
• In some cases, your doctor may recommend switching from sugar to sweetener substitutes.
• Reducing the time carbohydrates spend in the mouth. This can be achieved in two ways: do not eat the sweet dish last, and be sure to rinse your mouth after eating.
• Avoid eating sweets at night and between meals.

If any of the recommendations are violated, to reduce the risk of caries, you need to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth.

How to prevent tooth decay

1. Regular brushing of teeth (preferably after every meal). Moreover, you should brush your teeth not an hour or two, but within 5 minutes after eating. It has been proven that food debris and pathogens cause maximum harm to teeth in the first 40 minutes. Is it necessary to brush your teeth after every meal, that is, even after a light snack or tea with candy? Yes, it is necessary, and you need to clearly understand this for yourself. Therefore, you should not overuse snacks during the day.
2. Dental floss - This is not an additional tool for cleaning the oral cavity, but is as basic as a toothbrush. Floss must be used in the same way after each meal. For a person who has never used floss before, it may be difficult to understand how to use it - a dentist can help with this. The task of dental floss is to remove food debris between the teeth (caries, no less rarely, develops not only in the tooth cavity, but also between two adjacent teeth).

3. What to do if brushing your teeth is problematic (for example, in a cafe or outdoors)? You should always have dental floss or, as a last resort, chewing gum with you. A package of thread does not take up much space, and you can use it by going to the toilet (if we are talking about a room) or stepping aside. Many people are embarrassed to behave this way, as a result, subsequently they will not always have simple and cheap treatment for caries. Embarrassment is inappropriate here: there is nothing shameful in getting up and going to the restroom for a couple of minutes. It’s much better to breathe in freshness afterwards, rather than “delight” those around you with the aromas of a recently eaten lunch.
4. Food debris often accumulates under dentures and braces.. People who have crowns in their mouths can be advised to use an irrigator - a device that delivers a stream of water through a special nozzle, saturated with air bubbles and washing away food debris. The device is especially effective for gingivitis and periodontitis, when pockets form where a large number of microbes accumulate. Periodontal pockets are very difficult to clean with a brush or floss, but an irrigator can cope with this task perfectly. The device is also recommended for pregnant women, who often suffer from gingivitis.

In addition to brushing and flossing, the following can help prevent tooth decay:

• strengthening the immune system. A weakened body is not able to fully resist the effects of bacteria. To minimize the risk of developing caries, subject to good hygiene, you need to take care of your immunity through the use of vitamins and hardening;
• properly formulated diet. First of all, you need to reduce the consumption of simple carbohydrates, and also increase the amount of foods containing fluoride and calcium in the menu. We must not forget about regular consumption of hard fruits and vegetables, which cleanse teeth of plaque.

Strengthening the immune system and reducing stress factors as methods for preventing dental caries

The most important task of the immune system is to resist the effects of microbes. If the body's defenses are weakened (including under the influence of stress), the immune system cannot resist harmful bacteria. That is why, against the background of severe stress and weakened immunity, the risk of dental caries increases.

Prevention consists of strengthening the immune system, for which the following measures are suitable:

• quality sleep of at least 8 hours;
• physical activity: daily exercise, sports;
• hardening: water procedures, sun and air baths, cool air in the apartment;
• avoidance of stressful situations;
• refusal or limitation of bad habits (smoking, alcohol);
• adherence to daily routine;
• if necessary and only as prescribed by a doctor, medications to strengthen the immune system.

What is caries?

According to statistics, dental caries is present in every third person on earth to varying degrees.
Children mainly suffer from caries, which is explained by the weak protection of the enamel of baby teeth. The disease can occur even in young children after the first teeth erupt. In adulthood, pathology is slightly less common, since the tissues of permanent teeth are more resistant to bacterial attack. Caries is an infectious process caused by pathogenic bacteria that attack the hard tissues of teeth. At the first stage, the disease provokes demineralization of the enamel, then destroys bone tissue and at the last (deep) stage penetrates the dentin, pulp and periodontium.

Among the reasons for premature removal of milk and permanent teeth, caries ranks first. Also, dental caries is a provoking factor in the development of pathologies such as pulpitis, periodontitis, gingivitis, periodontitis, root cyst and others.

Drug prophylaxis

After an in-person examination, the dentist, according to indications, may prescribe the patient one of the following methods of medicinal endogenous prophylaxis:

• additional fluoridation of food and drinking water (the amount of fluoride is calculated only by a doctor, taking into account the dose that a person already receives from food and water);
• anti-caries drugs for oral administration (usually they contain a complex of vitamins and sodium fluoride that help strengthen teeth).

There are also exogenous methods of drug prophylaxis. These include coating the teeth with fluoride varnish or fluoride gel. Fluoride varnish stays on the enamel surface for a long time, saturates it with fluoride ions, has an antimicrobial effect, and reduces pain in cases of increased tooth sensitivity. Fluoride-containing gel has a remineralizing effect on tooth enamel; it is used for applications or electrophoresis.

Sealing dental fissures as caries prevention

Fissures are natural depressions on the surface of teeth. Food debris accumulates in these pits, making it more difficult to remove plaque and germs from there during cleaning. In addition, in the fissure area, enamel mineralization is slowed down; its layer is thinner than on other surfaces of the teeth, so natural depressions are considered a risk zone for the development of carious lesions. The fissure sealing method is primarily used for children. Its essence lies in the fact that the recesses are closed with special sealants. As a result, food does not accumulate on the teeth, and the vulnerable spot of the tooth surface is reliably protected from the action of pathological microorganisms.

What else do you need to know?

• To maintain healthy teeth and gums, it is important to use a brush of medium hardness; the bristles should not scratch the enamel and mucous membrane or cause discomfort. It must be changed at least every 2 months, since pathogenic microorganisms accumulate on the bristles. You also need to replace the brush if it has lost its original shape.
• When using a toothpaste containing fluoride, you must not only brush your teeth for 2-3 minutes, but also not rinse your mouth for the same amount of time. During this period, the active components will penetrate the enamel, which will increase the effectiveness of remineralization.
• When choosing a toothpaste with fluoride, it is better to give preference to more expensive options, since they contain sodium aminofluorides. These substances are more effective than sodium monofluorophosphate, which is present in budget toothpastes. Saving in this case is impractical.
• Do not neglect mouth rinses. They contain sodium fluorides and aminofluorides, antiseptic and antibacterial components that prevent plaque formation and inhibit the growth and reproduction of cariogenic microbes. But you should also not overuse mouthwashes, since antiseptics can disrupt the composition of the microflora of the oral cavity, resulting in an unpleasant odor.

Remember that caries prevention will be effective only with an integrated approach and regular visits to the dentist. It is better to make sure once again that your teeth are healthy than to treat the consequences of a negligent attitude towards yourself.

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Personal oral hygiene as protection against caries

Individual oral hygiene plays an important role in preventing caries. It refers to exogenous non-drug methods of prevention.

Regular brushing of teeth, tongue, removal of food debris, soft deposits contributes to the proper development and functioning of tooth enamel. The components of therapeutic and prophylactic pastes enrich the tissues of the oral cavity with calcium and phosphate salts, vitamins and microelements, making them more resistant to negative influences. Massaging the gums with a toothbrush activates metabolism, improves blood circulation in periodontal tissues, and prevents bleeding and gum disease.

Personal hygiene involves careful independent removal of plaque from the surface of teeth and gums using toothbrushes, pastes and other products.

The effectiveness of individual oral hygiene depends on several factors:

• quality and compliance of the characteristics of the toothbrush with the condition of the teeth of a particular patient;
• following proper cleaning techniques;
• the use of additional cleansing methods - irrigators, dental floss, mono-beam and orthodontic brushes, rinses.

Exogenous (local) prevention of caries

By the term “exogenous caries prevention,” dentists mean local methods of preventing dental caries. Despite the high effectiveness of a systematic approach to reducing the risk of carious processes, due to economic, technical and physiological reasons, as well as the characteristics of the body, there is a need for additional direct treatment of the oral cavity and dentition.

Two main areas of exogenous prevention include oral hygiene and the use of direct-acting special means:

• 1. Remineralization complexes;
• 2. Fissure-sealing sealants;
• 3. Fluorine-containing topical products in the form of pastes, varnishes, solutions, gels.

As modern medical statistics show, the trend towards a decrease in the incidence of caries diagnosis in developing countries is associated with the beginning of the total use of fluoride-containing pastes - about 90 percent of such products on the market contain this substance. Also, an important contribution is made by the use of additional hygienic oral devices - sugar-free chewing gum based on xylitol, organic and synthetic means of removing plaque from the enamel, under which carious processes are formed, and the increasing interest of the population in professional methods of cleaning the oral cavity in the dental office.

Treatment of caries in our dentistry is inexpensive.

How to brush your teeth correctly to avoid caries?

The toothbrush should have a small head to easily penetrate hard-to-reach areas of the oral cavity, removing plaque even from distant teeth and from interdental spaces. The stiffness of the bristles is of great importance. The best choice for most adult users is a medium-hard brush. It will clean the surface of the teeth quite intensively, without damaging the gums or scratching the enamel.

However, for children and those with sensitive teeth and gums, brushes with soft bristles are needed. Regarding the correct choice of the optimal toothbrush, as well as toothpaste with the appropriate composition, it is better to consult with your dentist. He will be able to make recommendations based on an in-person examination of the oral cavity.

Even a properly selected brush and good toothpaste will not protect against caries if you brush your teeth incorrectly. Therefore, it is important to learn a technique that will allow you to most effectively clean your teeth and oral cavity from bacteria. There are several different ways to clean teeth in dentistry. One of the widely used is the standard Pakhomov method:

• The dentition is conventionally divided into segments.
• Begin cleaning from the upper right segment, from the distant chewing teeth. They alternately move from segment to segment along the upper jaw, and then move on to cleaning the lower row of teeth in a similar way.
• According to Pakhomov’s method, when cleaning the lateral front and back surfaces of the teeth, the brush moves in the direction from the gums to the edge of the tooth. Chewing surfaces are cleaned with back-and-forth movements.
• Finish cleaning with circular movements in each segment.

Please note that this cleaning method is suitable for those who use regular manual toothbrushes. There are nuances in using electric toothbrushes, and the method of using them is always detailed in the instructions. The main difference is that an electric toothbrush does not require mechanical movements; it simply needs to be moved from tooth to tooth without applying too much pressure.

After brushing your teeth with a brush and toothpaste, it is recommended to additionally clean the interdental spaces with floss or irrigator, and also use the mouthwash as a solution for the prevention of caries.

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For local care of teeth and oral cavity, once every three months, pastes, rinses, brushes for cleaning teeth and removing plaque from the tongue, and homemade gel for remineralizing enamel are selected. Advanced people in this regard always use oral irrigators and ultraviolet cases to sterilize the bristles of their toothbrush. For effective teeth cleaning, dental patients undergo training after professional removal of dental plaque in the hygienist's office.

Chewing gums as caries prevention

Chewing gum may help prevent tooth decay by increasing saliva production. Salivary fluid washes each tooth, removing dirt and germs from it, has an antiseptic effect on the oral cavity, and neutralizes plaque acids. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to chew gum with sweeteners for several minutes after each meal, especially sweets. Remember that comprehensive preventive measures will help maintain the health and appearance of your teeth for a long time.

Proper dental care -

Unfortunately, all people understand the term “good oral hygiene” differently, believing that everything is fine with their hygiene, and that all dental problems are to blame (hereinafter on the list) - water, bad heredity, pregnancy, etc. . Below we have described in detail for you how often and how to brush your teeth correctly, as well as what hygiene products are best to use.

How many times a day should you brush your teeth?

Most people know that they need to brush their teeth twice a day. Everything is correct, but this is only the minimum value. Normally, teeth are brushed after every meal, i.e. 3 times a day. If you are afraid that your colleagues at work will call you a cleaner if they see you brushing your teeth in the toilet during your lunch break, then you need to make a choice - between clean teeth, the absence of caries and bad breath, and the respect of dirty-toothed colleagues.

If a toothbrush and paste at work are unacceptable to you, then the minimum amount of hygiene that will allow you to remain Homo sapiens is dental floss + chewing gum. The most important thing in this combination is the use of dental floss, because... food gets stuck between the teeth (and we are not talking about stuck pieces of meat, but about soft food residues, which cause much more damage to the teeth, because they consist of quickly digestible carbohydrates and therefore are most quickly processed by bacteria into acid).

Diet – effective prevention of dental caries is impossible without following a diet. For example, it is very good if you brush your teeth 3 times a day after each main meal. But, if you decide to eat chocolate, cookies, sweets, nuts between main meals... the carbohydrates stick to your teeth again and bacteria immediately begin to convert them into acid. Therefore, all snacks should be eaten at the end of the main meal, and after that, immediately brush your teeth.

It is the wrong diet and frequent snacking on cookies and other carbohydrates that are the root cause of caries in children (this also applies to sugary drinks - juices, soda, liquid mixtures). Children often develop so-called bottle caries, which affects almost all teeth (when parents, to prevent the child from crying, give him a bottle of formula for the whole night or day). And without solving the problem with diet, no prevention of caries in children is simply possible.

If you are asking yourself how to get rid of caries at home, then following the recommendations of this article can almost completely save you from the appearance of new foci of caries. It's up to your willpower and motivation, because sometimes you are too lazy to get up and go straight away to brush your teeth, or finally start regularly using dental floss after every meal.

Proper hygiene scheme -

After each meal, you need to follow the following sequence: 1) flossing, 2) brushing with a toothbrush and toothpaste. If you don’t have toothpaste and a brush, you should always have dental floss and chewing gum with you. Floss will remove food debris, and chewing gum works by stimulating salivation (saliva has a certain buffering capacity that neutralizes acids in the mouth).

It is very important not only how to brush your teeth, but also when to do it. In the morning, it is best to brush your teeth after breakfast (for people with a lot of plaque and carious teeth, this can be unpleasant, so it is recommended for such patients to brush their teeth both before and after breakfast). As for all other oral hygiene sessions, teeth should be brushed within the first 5 minutes after eating.

Using dental floss –

Let's be honest - without dental floss there can be no talk of good hygiene. What do you think: why is the most common location of caries in the interdental spaces? Precisely because food debris gets stuck there, which cannot be removed by any fancy toothbrush models or even irrigators. If the instructions for a brush or an advertisement tell you that it perfectly cleans the spaces between teeth, this is all untrue and is only a publicity stunt. And this equally applies to electric, ultrasonic, and other models of brushes and attachments for them.

It is very important that you understand the following - you should use dental floss not only when you feel that a piece of meat is stuck in your teeth. After eating, so much soft sticky food debris accumulates in the interdental spaces that will not cause you any concern, but it is they (and not pieces of meat) that are the root cause of caries, because... Such food residues consist predominantly of carbohydrates that are easily digestible by bacteria.

Dental floss should be used after every meal, cleaning absolutely all dental spaces. This usually takes about 1 minute, but at the beginning (while you learn to use it) it may take longer. The thread should always be in your pocket or purse. You can use it at a party, in the restroom of a restaurant, or even just on the street. Everything will depend only on your desire to have clean teeth and a pleasant breath.

How to use dental floss correctly: video

→ Types of dental floss, and which one is better

If there are bridges on the teeth, braces -

In the presence of braces and bridges in the oral cavity, conditions are created for the retention of food debris. In the presence of bridges, food is stuffed, as a rule, under the intermediate part of the bridge, which imitates the missing tooth. Therefore, for good hygiene, an ordinary toothbrush and paste, as well as dental floss, will no longer be enough in this case (24stoma.ru).

Special devices called irrigators are designed for these purposes. Such devices deliver under pressure a thin pulsating stream of water, saturated with air microbubbles, with the help of which food debris and microbial plaque are washed away (Fig. 6). Irrigators are also indicated for patients with chronic gum inflammation, because... They also allow you to wash periodontal pockets using special nozzles.

Important: any caries you develop, even a single one, is an indicator that there are defects in your hygiene. You must understand that there is no norm for the formation of a certain number of caries lesions per year. Normally, there should be no caries at all, and if it appears, then this is a question of how correctly you brush your teeth, how regularly, whether you are familiar with dental floss, and also how correct your diet is.

When caries develops, microbial plaque and food debris remain at the edge of the corner. Adequate oral hygiene allows complete removal of both. Predisposing factors, of course, also exist. For example, a low concentration of lysozyme in saliva (this is an enzyme that inhibits the growth of plaque) is of a genetic nature, but this factor is only secondary for the development of caries.

Or the buffering capacity of saliva is too low, which does not effectively neutralize acid in the mouth. This usually occurs in patients who consume too many carbohydrates. In patients with a balanced and protein diet, the buffer capacity of saliva is always normal. Those. here again questions about your diet. Often drinking wine or fruit juices (acid), sweet soda (carbohydrates) - all this also leads to demineralization of teeth and increases the risk of caries.