How can we ensure dental health?
A good oral hygiene and the use of fluoride are now considered to be the main factors responsible for preventing tooth decay and promoting good oral health. The following tips are also important for keeping teeth without caries:
- Start soon taking care of your teeth, brush children’s teeth with a fluoride toothpaste as soon as they appear. Do not allow children to fall asleep while drinking from a bottle of milk, juice or sweetened beverages. These sweet liquids are kept around the baby’s teeth for long periods of time and can produce the “baby bottle tooth decay”.
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste. And if possible, use the floss once a day. Do not eat after cleaning teeth at bedtime as salivary flow decreases while we sleep.
- Visit the dentist every 6 months.
- Do not eat or drink continuously. Let some time left between meals so that saliva neutralize the acids and repair the teeth.
- People with a high risk of dental attrition should take special preventive measures, such as:
– Reducing the contact with acidic foods and beverages.
– Avoiding brushing your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods, beverages, citrus fruits and juices. In this way, you let some time for remineralisation.
– Oral fluorinated elixirs and sugar-free chewing gum may be useful after taking acidic food and drinks as they help remineralisation. - Non-sugar chewing gums are “friends” of the teeth as they increase saliva flow and clean the mouth of food traces.
If you detect something irregular in your teeth or gums (irritation or inflammation of gums, some stain or cavity in the teeth) do not wait until you have pain or discomfort and visit your dentist.
If you have fixed prostheses, take good care of them, as if they were natural dental pieces.
If you have removable prosthesis, remove them and brush them at least twice a day with toothpaste or special cleaning products.
