Dental Health

We will look at dental health from all angles, including oral hygiene measures and specific chemical products.

The use of sensible oral hygiene measures for dental health, along with sensible eating habits and regular visits to a dentist, can virtually prevent tooth decay and moderate gum disease by keeping your teeth clean for dental health and free of plaque build-up.

Brushing and flossing are the most common ways of cleaning teeth for dental health. Chewing sugar-free gum after eating is a great idea it helps stimulate the flow of saliva to neutralize the acids. Some dentists stock a chewing gum that provides essential compounds that can re-mineralize teeth for dental health and help prevent decay.

Some dentists also sell Recaldent Tooth Mousse for dental health, which is spread on the teeth from a tube and has the same effect. Some of the more commercially available toothpastes for dental health have contents for re-mineralization.

There are also some more specific chemical products like dentifrices, mouth rinses and gels available for dental health, usually on the advice of a dentist. They may contain specific anti-bacterial compounds for dental health or high strength fluoride. Although brushing is important for dental health, it is the fluoride coating you get from toothpaste that is the major component in preventing decay and disease. Most Americans also use or have used mouth rinse.

The most commonly available rinses are chlorhexidine, Listerine, Triclosan and hydrogen peroxide (or other forms of peroxide). The regular or occasional use of some of these products, in conjunction with brushing and flossing, is becoming more important in controlling what dentists call the biofilm the film on the teeth that contains the bacteria. Your dentist will provide more advice on this and general dental health issues. In addition, cleaning the tongue by brushing from back to front can help prevent bad breath.

For children under the age of about six, tooth brushing should be preformed by, or supervised by, an adult. The best way is to stand behind your child with them facing in the same direction as you. You then lean over and place a gentle hand on their chin as you brush with the other hand. The child leans back against your body. It is gentle and easy on both of you.