Why is prevention of diseases of teeth and gums more profitable than treatment?

Soldatova Lyudmila Nikolaevna

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Clinical Dentistry of the St. Petersburg Medical and Social Institute, Chief Physician of the Alfa-Dent Dental Clinic, St. Petersburg

The human oral cavity is often called a mirror of the state of the body. A qualified dentist, after performing a visual examination of the oral mucosa and teeth, can determine what chronic diseases the patient has and advise him to see a specific doctor. Thus, diseases of the endocrine or nervous system, gastrointestinal tract or blood diseases can be diagnosed using the oral cavity.

At the same time, if there are chronic diseases in the oral cavity, then they, in turn, can become a provoking factor for the development of rheumatism, pyelonephritis and some other diseases. Remember how, for example, pregnant women before giving birth and patients before a planned operation need to obtain a certificate of oral sanitation. Therefore, prevention is very important for everyone. Moreover, we are talking not only about a beautiful and healthy smile, but also about health in general, and also, of course, about those funds from the family budget that will have to be spent on treatment at the dentist.

Prevention of oral diseases

When they talk about the prevention of oral diseases, they primarily mean:

• Self-regular oral care.
• Periodic visits to the dental clinic.

Why do you need to take care of your mouth? The fact is that after each meal, food particles remain on the teeth and mucous membranes of the mouth, as a result, upon contact with saliva, bacteria and microbes begin to multiply in the mouth, which ultimately leads to the appearance of caries, bad breath, plaque and dental plaque. stone

Some people, unfortunately, do not understand the importance of this procedure, erroneously claiming that animals don’t brush their teeth or anything. But we must not forget that animals live much shorter lives, and, most importantly, they monitor their diet, consuming sufficient quantities of food of plant origin.

Recommendations from experts

The most important preventative measure is regular visits to the dentist.

. Experts strongly recommend dental examinations at least twice a year. This will allow timely detection of possible pathological processes, such as caries and other dental diseases. In the early stages, they can be easily stopped without the likelihood of relapse and complications.

Important! You should immediately visit a dentist if you experience enamel sensitivity, bleeding gums, toothache or discomfort while eating. These symptoms may indicate developing pathological processes.

Compliance with the above measures guarantees the preservation of oral health for many years.

Brushing your teeth with a toothbrush

The most important thing in preventing oral diseases is brushing your teeth. Every person, regardless of age, including children, should brush their teeth morning and evening. Moreover, observing certain rules.

1. You need to brush your teeth for at least five minutes.
2. Brush your teeth with rotational movements, otherwise, if you brush straight, the plaque will simply be driven into the gum pockets and between the teeth.
3. Do not press the brush too hard to avoid damaging the enamel.
4. When brushing your teeth, mentally divide all your teeth into four sections and brush each one separately so as not to spread germs throughout the jaw.
5. You need to brush not only the teeth from above, but also near the gums, at the base, and also the gums themselves.
6. Dentists recommend placing the brush at an angle of 45 degrees when brushing your teeth.
7. First you need to brush the far teeth of the upper jaw, then the front teeth, turning the brush vertically, and then start cleaning the teeth of the lower jaw. Finish brushing your teeth by massaging your gums and brushing your tongue.
8. In this case, you should take no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

Panoramic shot

A dental panoramic photograph is a circular digital image of the entire jaw in a two-dimensional plane.

This examination allows you to:

• identify hidden caries;
• diagnose the condition of teeth under crowns and fillings;
• assess the health of canals and root tips;
• determine the presence of permanent tooth buds in children;
• establish periodontitis disease;
• monitor the condition of teeth during implantation and prosthetics.

An orthopantomogram, like a dental photograph, significantly increases the capabilities of dentists and allows them to see what cannot be detected during a visual examination.

How to choose the right toothbrush

Just as important as brushing your teeth is choosing a good toothbrush. Experts advise purchasing a brush with artificial bristles, which is considered more hygienic, practical and durable. As for the optimal degree of hardness, if the patient does not have any special indications, a regular brush of medium hardness will suit him.

It is also worth paying attention to the size of the toothbrush - optimally it should cover three teeth.

We must not forget that the brush needs to be changed periodically. It’s difficult to say how often to do this, because for some the brush can wear out in a month, while for others it can last two to three months. This depends on many factors, in particular, how often you brush your teeth, with what force you do it, how long the procedure lasts, and what toothpaste you use.

Therefore, some dentists advise purchasing toothbrushes with colored tufts of bristles, which are indicators. On a new brush they are always bright, and when the bristles wear out, they take on a pale blue tint. Noticed this on your toothbrush? It's time to go to the pharmacy for a new one.

If your brush does not have such indicators, simply change it at least once a quarter.

Recently, electric toothbrushes have become popular, although the attitude towards them from professional dentists is rather ambiguous. Therefore, before purchasing such a modern brush, it is better to consult your doctor.

Battery-powered teeth polishing devices are also available on the market. According to dentists, they can be used, but not often, as they can damage the enamel.

Prevention of diseases of teeth, gums and oral cavity

If you are lax about the prevention of diseases of teeth and gums, you can get a couple of crowns in your youth, and later fill your gums with pins and implants. Of course, many will rush to attribute all dental problems to bad genetics, ecology, eternal stress, etc. But it is impossible to do without timely measures to prevent dental diseases.

To prevent any diseases of the teeth and gums, it is necessary to maintain dental and oral hygiene, prevent periodontal disease and regularly visit the dentist, without bringing the condition of the teeth to critical.

Prevention and hygiene of teeth and oral cavity involves proper brushing using a high-quality toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as plaque removal and regular preventive examination by the dentist once every 6 months.

Prevention of dental diseases is, first of all, a healthy lifestyle, i.e. giving up smoking and alcohol abuse, as well as moderate consumption of coffee and tea. Secondly, proper nutrition is very important for dental health, so that the body receives all the necessary vitamins and microelements to maintain health in general and dental health in particular, because their diseases directly depend on the general state of human health. If any deviations in oral and dental hygiene are observed or diseases are present, then it is necessary to apply specific methods of treatment and prevention.

Proper nutrition for healthy teeth and gums

Proper nutrition and dental health are interconnected concepts. A person must not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively improve his diet. This applies to the origin of food products, their composition, and the balance of the diet. It is very important not to overuse sour, salty, spicy and sweet foods. The main thing is to observe moderation in everything.

As for dyes and other harmful additives in food products, you must always remember that all chemical food dyes damage tooth enamel and lead to its destruction, which means the occurrence of caries and other diseases.

It is important to follow a proper diet for teeth and gums during pregnancy, when not only the mother, but also the unborn child needs a certain set of vitamins and microelements, because it is at this time that the elements of teeth are formed in the baby’s body. The diet for the prevention of diseases of the teeth and oral cavity should include foods containing many vitamins, especially vitamins B, A, C. It is also necessary to consume cheeses, milk, cottage cheese, which contain many useful substances, including calcium, which is necessary for the formation of bones , and fish containing phosphorus. All vitamins must be present in the diet as a complex.

To prevent gum disease, it is recommended to eat sorrel, green salad, apples, currants, lingonberries and carrots. These products have multiple effects: clean tooth enamel from soft deposits; are a source of vitamins, biologically active and mineral substances for the whole body.

Very useful for the prevention of dental diseases:

greens (parsley, green onions, dill, cilantro, etc.), nettle leaves, dandelion leaves. These products are also sources of vitamins and biologically active substances that are necessary for teeth. Birch sap in an amount of 1 liter per day can remove plaque, thereby preventing the formation of tartar.

Radishes and fresh lemons also help remove tartar. In addition, any products containing vitamin C are extremely beneficial for teeth and gums.

Kohlrabi contains phosphorus and calcium, which are essential for teeth. Lingonberry and rowan juices are also useful for the prevention of oral diseases: they help eliminate inflammatory processes, strengthen the gums and saturate the body with many vitamins.

Preventing dental diseases: proper brushing technique

Brushing plays a special role in the prevention of dental diseases. Proper oral and dental hygiene involves the use of high-quality toothbrushes, pastes, powders, gels, rinses and dental floss.

It is also necessary to use special fluoride-containing preparations to prevent dental diseases. They usually come in the form of gels or varnishes. Fluoridated salt can be used. Doctors recommend adding fluoride to drinking water (1 mg per 1 liter). This will help strengthen your tooth enamel.

To prevent diseases of teeth and gums, you can rinse your mouth with a weak solution of sodium fluoride (fluoridated salt). It is also useful to take vitamins and fluoride-containing medications internally in tablets or solution form. Fluoride-containing gels and varnishes need to cover tooth enamel.

If you experience toothache, discomfort in the gum area, or during a home examination, suspicious dark spots or something similar are found on your teeth, you should immediately consult a dentist and do not delay the process with self-medication.

Proper brushing of teeth, even in the presence of a disease, is necessary at least twice a day:

morning and evening with a duration of at least 3 minutes. In this case, the toothbrush cannot be moved horizontally along the dentition, since in this way the plaque will only be driven deeper into the dental crevices. The correct technique for brushing teeth is vertical (from the root of the tooth to its apex). To clean the gaps between teeth, you should use dental floss.

Dentists generally recommend brushing your teeth after every meal. If this is not possible, you can use dental floss or chewing gum.

In case of periodontal disease with increased gum bleeding, tooth brushing can be replaced by rinsing with special solutions.

• May 21, 2018

• Source: www.med-pomosh.com

Toothbrush care

There are also rules on how to care for your toothbrush so that it helps maintain oral health and does not harm your teeth and gums. What is needed for this?

• Never give your own toothbrush or borrow someone else’s toothbrush, even from your own family members.
• After each brushing procedure, the brush should be washed with soap. You can use it next time only when it is completely dry.
• It is advisable for each person to have two brushes: one for use at home, the second “travel brush” to take with you on trips.
• To clean the brush from germs, you can use various antiseptics or rinses.
• Each brush should be dried in a cup separately from the others, without touching them. Ideally, you can use a “cap” or case for each brush.

Periodontitis is one of the main causes of tooth loss in adulthood.

The periodontium is a complex multifunctional complex of tissues that surround and securely hold the tooth in the alveolus. The periodontium evenly distributes the load on the jawbone and acts as a protective layer. It is quite important to carefully take care of his health and prevent the development of diseases such as periodontitis.

For this you should:

• regularly remove dental plaque using brushes and floss;
• If gum bleeding occurs, consult a dentist. A specialist will help determine the cause of bleeding and eliminate it;
• Learn the correct technique for brushing your teeth and follow recommendations for daily hygiene.

How to choose toothpaste

When choosing a toothpaste, it is a good idea to consult your doctor. Do not get carried away with abrasive toothpastes: it is better to alternate them with regular ones. For children, you should buy special children's pastes, according to their age. For people with sensitive gums and teeth - professional pastes.

In general, all toothpastes that are available in pharmacies today can be divided into:

• hygienic, which are suitable for everyone, as they do not contain special medicinal components;
• therapeutic and prophylactic: they can also be used daily as a prophylactic against various diseases;
• medicinal: they should be used only as prescribed by a doctor.

If for some reason a person does not like toothpastes, then he can use special dental gels to clean his teeth. However, we must not forget that in terms of their abrasive properties they are significantly inferior to pastes.

And during the day, when it is not possible to use toothpaste, or after morning or evening brushing, you can use dental elixirs.

We recommend Asepta toothpastes. They are designed to meet all oral hygiene requirements. The components they contain effectively clean teeth, strengthen enamel, prevent the occurrence of caries, and gently freshen breath.

Causes of dental diseases

The main factor contributing to the active development of dental pathologies are microorganisms contained in deposits and saliva, as well as accumulating on the mucous surfaces of internal tissues. Primary dental prevention allows you to identify and remove most of the plaque, thereby preventing the further development of diseases.

Dental plaque is classified into two categories:

• Non-myralized, which include plaques and biofilms, soft plaque, as well as food residues preserved after the diet;
• Mineralized - tartar located in the area above or below the gum.

Individual factors of the body also play a significant role, such as metabolic rate, which determines how quickly the pathogenic influence causes a reverse reaction.

The appearance of caries is promoted by streptococcal bacteria, which provoke oxygen-free fermentation and produce acid that corrodes the enamel coating of the teeth. Periodontal inflammation usually occurs due to the accumulation of microorganisms present in rocky deposits. Professional hygienic treatment of the oral cavity involves careful removal of foreign deposits from all surfaces and subsequent treatment of teeth and gums with prophylactic agents. Currently, there are many different tools for removing dental plaque.

Clinical researches

ASEPTA toothpastes are clinically proven effective. For example, repeated clinical studies have proven that regular use of preventive toothpaste ASEPTA SENSITIVE for a month can reduce bleeding gums by 62%, reduce the sensitivity of teeth and gums by 48% and reduce inflammation by 66%.

In addition, it was proven that regular use of professional toothpaste ASEPTA COFFEE AND TOBACCO for a month improved the hydration of the mucous membrane by 3.3 times, the remineralizing efficiency increased by 3.9 times, at the same time, the cleansing effect has increasing dynamics and reaches 60.5% at 4 weeks of use.

Sources:

1. Clinical studies of antisensitive toothpaste “Asepta Sensitive” (A.A. Leontyev, O.V. Kalinina, S.B. Ulitovsky) A.A. LEONTIEV, dentist O.V. KALININA, dentist S.B. ULITOVSKY, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof. Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, St. Petersburg State Medical University named after. acad. I.P. Pavlova
2. Report on determining/confirming the preventive properties of toothpaste “ASEPTA PLUS” COFFEE and TOBACCO Author: doctor-researcher A.A. Leontyev, head Department of Preventive Dentistry, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor S.B. Ulitovsky. First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after. acad. I.P. Pavlova, Department of Preventive Dentistry
3. Report on determining/confirming the preventive properties of toothpaste “ASEPTA PLUS” GENTLE WHITENING” Author: doctor-researcher A.A. Leontyev, head Department of Preventive Dentistry, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor S.B. Ulitovsky First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after. acad. I.P. Pavlova, Department of Preventive Dentistry

What is caries, why does it occur and why is it dangerous?

Caries is a chronic destructive-infectious process with gradual destruction of dental bone tissue and the development of inflammation of soft tissues. Demineralization occurs, teeth loosen, and pathogenic streptococci settle in the affected tissues.

There are many reasons for the development of caries: mineral metabolism disorder, hypovitaminosis, decreased immunity, digestive and circulatory disorders. All this only creates conditions for caries, and the trigger is a violation of oral hygiene. Residues of food on the teeth, the formation of plaque and tartar destroy tooth enamel, this facilitates the penetration of microbes into the tooth, and there are a huge number of them in the oral cavity.

Caries not only leads to tooth loss, but can cause sinusitis, tonsillitis, purulent process, and osteomyelitis in the facial area. Microbes, spreading, can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract.

Other factors that increase resistance to caries

1. Correction of anomalies of the dentofacial system. For example, due to overcrowding of teeth, good hygiene is impossible, and as a result, caries appears in hard-to-reach areas.
2. Timely treatment of caries, gingivitis, affected roots.
3. Normalization of the development of alveolar processes.
4. Normalization of pH levels in saliva. After taking sugar, the composition of saliva changes, which creates a predisposition to the development of caries.

Saliva plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis (self-regulation) in the mouth. This happens due to:

• mineralizing ability;
• lubricating or moisturizing function;
• defense mechanisms;
• processes of self-cleaning of the oral cavity.

After ingestion of sugar, presence of plaque, or dry mouth, homeostasis is disrupted. This happens because protective mechanisms are weakened and inflammatory processes develop.

Oral hygiene products and their choice

Properly selected means for cleaning teeth and treating the oral cavity play a major role in the prevention of caries. They must correspond to individual anatomical features, the condition of the teeth and soft tissues of the oral cavity.

Requirements for a toothbrush

The shape of the brush is very important; it should be curved and have a narrow cleaning head. It is better to choose an option with sparsely located bristles, this way hard-to-reach places, gum pockets and interdental spaces are better cleaned. The degree of stiffness of the brush also matters: soft, medium or high. If there is damage to tooth enamel, cracks, or bleeding gums, you need a soft brush; for healthy teeth, you can use a hard one, and a medium one is suitable for almost everyone.

Caring for your brush is important because it retains a lot of germs. After each cleaning, it should be thoroughly washed with soap and running water and stored in a special stand or glass with the head up. It is also recommended to leave it soapy after washing. You need to renew your toothbrush every 2-3 months.

How to choose toothpaste

The entire variety of toothpastes is divided into 2 categories:

• hygienic, intended for cleaning, whitening teeth and refreshing the oral cavity;
• therapeutic and prophylactic, which include antiseptics, enzymes, mineral salts, plant extracts, biologically active substances.

It is better to give preference to the second type of paste even for those who have healthy teeth, in order to prevent caries, periodontitis and other diseases. Your dentist will help you make the best choice after examining your mouth.

Application of dental gels

A relatively new hygiene product is gels for teeth and gums, which contain various medicinal substances and are used for treatment. The composition may contain analgesic and antiseptic ingredients, for example, Cholisal, Metrogyl Denta gels, biological stimulants of healing and restoration - Asepta, Solcoseryl gels, fluorine and other minerals - Emofluor, Paro gels, as well as extracts of medicinal plants. A dentist prescribes this or that type of gel.

Use of dental elixirs

These products are recommended for rinsing the mouth after eating and drinking; they have antiseptic and deodorizing properties. They may also contain biological stimulants, extracts of seaweed and other medicinal plants (Biodent-2, Fitopon, Fitodont, Elam and others).

Using dental floss

Floss or dental floss is very popular today. Dentists definitely recommend them as a means of cleaning interdental spaces, and therefore preventing inflammation and caries. Floss should be used twice a day before brushing and rinsing. The shape and thickness of the thread are selected depending on the structure of the teeth and the width of the interdental spaces. The attached instructions must be strictly followed.

Use of dental irrigators

Dental irrigators are know-how in dentistry that allow you to clean dental tissue and gum pockets more thoroughly than a brush or floss. They are miniature electrical devices that generate a jet of liquid under high pressure, which penetrates and cleans all hard-to-reach places. Irrigators are considered a universal care product, do not damage gums, and are ideal for cleaning braces and dentures. The device comes with a set of attachments for cleaning any areas of the dentition and oral cavity. It is possible to use special rinses and dental elixirs.

The most effective oral care depends on the correct choice of hygiene products. In these matters, it is better to follow the advice of your dentist.

Etiotropic prevention of dental diseases

What is etiotropic and pathogenetic prevention
? What is included in the primary prevention of dental diseases

Other factors that increase resistance to caries

Dental health indices

Prevention is always better than cure. It has been scientifically proven that with a competent approach, the risk of caries and gum disease is reduced from 70% to 100%. This is done by etiotropic and pathogenetic prevention. We’ll look at what it is in the article.