Tooth and denture care
Teeth are located in the mouth, and they are necessary for food chopping and speech. Children have 20 deciduous teeth, which begin to fall out around the age of 7, and are replaced by permanent teeth. Adults have 32 teeth. Tooth health is ensured by
- Correct everyday care
- Correct nutrition
- Regular visits to dentist
Correct dental care
Teeth should be washed after every meal and at least two times a day. Regular tooth washing is important not only to keep the teeth healthy, but also to avoid gum diseases, tooth cavity and foul breath. Tooth washing should last around 3 minutes, during which a brush should be used to brush out all the tooth surfaces from the inside, above and external sides.
Tooth brush Artificial fibre tooth brushes are best for tooth washing. Fibres must be medium strong or soft so as not to damage the tooth glazing and to massage the gums mildly. The brush head must be smallish, of oblong shape or round. The brush should be replaced every 6 to 8 weeks.
Tooth paste Every paste is good, because, in oral hygiene, tooth brushing is the most important element. Periodontal diseases patients can find special tooth pastes in pharmacies, containing substances for calming gums and tooth gingiva.
Tooth floss Tooth floss is extremely important for dental care, since it can go deep in between dental surfaces where brush fibres cannot, and get dirt, food remnants and caries out of those spots. Everyone should choose a dental floss that suits their dental surfaces (narrow or thick).
Mouthwash liquid The main ingredients of the mouthwash liquid are antibacterial substances that disinfect the mouth, fluorine that protects the teeth from cavity, and breathe refreshing substances.
Correct nutrition
Nutrition is correct if you consume enough:
- nutritive substances necessary for tooth growth, that is, calcium rich food (milk, cheese, yogurt)
- solid food that the teeth can chop and thus develop (wheat, nuts, apples)
Correct nutrition also means reduce intake of sweets containing white sugar which causes tooth decay.
Regular visits to dermatologist
Correct oral hygiene means, regular visits to dentist every 6 months.
Child dental care
Small children dental care is to be undertaken already at the appearance of the first teeth. Mothers should wash their children's teeth with a brush with no toothpaste. Toothpastes are allowed to be used with children when they reach the age of three. Dentists recommend mothers to wash their children's teeth until the age of nine, because it is only then that the children become aware of the importance of oral hygiene and become able to do it on their own.
It is particularly important to reduce the consumption of sweets during childhood period and incite the children to chew as much as possible and bite food so as to develop entire jaw along with the teeth. Mothers are wrong when they keep mincing and softening the food for too long, because that impedes development of teeth of their children.
Dental care during pregnancy
Dental care during pregnancy is the same as before pregnancy. Visits to dentists are allowed, but they should emphasise that they are pregnant.
Denture care
Denture care is implemented with regular washing with brush and water. One to two times a week, it is necessary to leave the denture in water with a denture cleaning tablet. The tablet contains detergents which dissolve impurity layers on the denture and have an antiseptic action.
Denture fixing pasts can be bought in pharmacies. They are helpful when denture is not firmly positioned on the gum. They are spread on the inside of the denture to help the denture stick to the gum. If the denture is too large, it can seriously damage the gum and tooth gingiva.
