Protect your teeth – guidelines
Good teeth don’t just come about. They are the result of good oral hygiene and healthy eating habits. A balanced daily diet inclusive of calcium and vitamins A, C, and D will help develop healthy teeth which will be fully formed when a child reaches his or her late teens or early twenties.
Did you know that a fully developed tooth is a permanent record of the nutritional habits of the mother during pregnancy and during the infancy of the child as the teeth form beneath the surface of the gums?
From the womb to the time that teeth are fully formed, good eating habits will help in maintaining healthy teeth, but beware of a diet rich in sugar! It will increase the risk of cavities. Studies show that Streptococcus mutans is passed from parents to their newborn children, thus beginning the growth of these decay-producing bacteria in the child.
Plaque bacteria feed on sugar and convert it into harmful acids. Certain types of sugar are more easily turned into acids and or are more likely to adhere to the teeth, resulting in tooth decay. Plaque that is not removed can harden into calculus, or tartar, around the gum line, resulting in dental caries.
With sugar being the main culprit of dental caries, is there an alternative?
Have you heard of a sweetener called ‘Xylitol’? It is a natural sugar alcohol which helps prevent cavities, as damage causing bacteria can’t grow on this form of sugar. By regular use of this product, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes, resulting in less plaque formation due to the reduction of acid levels attacking tooth surfaces. It will also significantly reduce the cavity causing bacterial transmission from mother to child. Xylitol is found most often in chewing gum and mints. It is equal in sweetness and volume to sugar and the granular form can be used in many of the ways that sugar is used, including to sweeten cereals, drinks, hot beverages and for baking.
Reduce the intake of sugar and also vinegar based products as much as possible as the acetic acid contained in vinegar produces a sour taste in the mouth and causes one’s teeth to feel very sensitive. Acids are involved in the formation of dental caries or tooth decay by ‘demineralizing’ which means removing calcium from the enamel that makes up the outer layer of the tooth.
Eat balanced meals at the proper time. Gastritis results from improper meal timings, or skipping breakfast altogether, which in turn produces unhealthy stomach gasses and acids. These acids travel up to the mouth when sleeping, resulting in teeth erosion at gum level leaving an acidic taste in the mouth.
Contribute to your child’s oral health by speaking positively about dental care, reducing any fears to visit the dentist.
Teeth can heal themselves
Repeated acid attacks soften the tooth’s enamel surface. However, such lesions are being remineralized every day. How? It has been shown that fluorides continue to help prevent decay by helping in this healing process. Thus, while decay is an infectious process, it is also reversible if certain factors, such as fluorides, are present. Yes, teeth can heal themselves!
Daily Oral Hygiene, a must
The single most important thing that you can do to maintain the health and vitality of your teeth, gums and their supporting tissues is to brush your teeth, first thing in the morning and as the last thing at night, combined with flossing.
Wash your mouth after each meal and after eating sweets.
Visit your dentist at least once every 6 months.
Some guidelines for brushing your teeth
Clean the tooth brush by washing it under running water, using a bit of soap and with the aid of your thumb. Notice the bristles change colour from off yellow to white.
Use only a small amount of tooth paste when brushing teeth as it’s an abrasive material.
Use a toothbrush with soft, rounded bristles and a head that is small enough to reach all parts of your teeth and mouth.
You may also use an electric toothbrush of approved dental standards. Studies show that powered toothbrushes with a rotating and oscillating (back and forth) action are more effective than other toothbrushes.
Angle the bristles at approximately 45 degrees at the gum line. Gently brush from the gum line to the chewing surface in short strokes. Be sure to clean all inside and outside tooth surfaces.
Use short, sweeping strokes to clean the chewing surfaces of the jaw teeth
To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, hold the brush so that it is almost vertical. Brush from your gum line to the chewing surface of the teeth.
Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth with a sweeping motion.
Replace your tooth brush once in every 3 months or prior, if the bristles are worn out.
