How to keep healthy gums and teeth

Keeping healthy gums and teeth is very important not just to show off a Hollywood smile but because the overall health of the body also depends on a healthy mouth. All human organs are connected to each other so if a pathology affects our gums, the problem is not limited to the oral cavity but it also may spread around (neck, ear and head).

The first rule to follow in order to get a bright smile is practicing an adequate oral hygiene at home on daily base.

Toothbrush and dental floss
The first tools we should learn to use are: toothbrush and floss.

Using the wrong technic to wash your teeth may be a complete waste of time simple because the dental plaque is not removed and bacteria can start their destruction action.

It doesn’t really matter if you use a manual or an electric toothbrush, the important thing is how to properly use them in order to achieve the result. Your dental hygienist or your family dentist should be the first resource to learn the good practice of oral hygiene.

Remember to change your toothbrush as soon as the bristles start to get damaged.. In fact, damaged toothbrush bristles are less effective in removing food particles trapped between teeth. You should also change your toothbrush after each mouth infection such as cold or canker sore.

Flossing is considerated boring by many people but it is as important as brushing. The right flossing technic helps you to remove dental plaque from between teeth and from that tiny place under the gum line where bacteria can hide easily and undisturbed. If you find difficult to use the conventional dental floss string, there is a wide range of alternatives such as interdental brushes and floss picks that are practical for kids and people with big fingers.

Does the best toothpaste exist?
Generally speaking the best toothpaste does not exist because we are not all the same as well as our mouths have different needs..

If you suffer because of sensitive tooth of caries there are specific toothpastes that contribute to strength the most external part of teeth called enamel.

For kids may be more indicated a fluoride toothpaste because it creates an extra layer on teeth protecting them from bacteria attacks.

Take the mouthwash into your daily oral hygiene routine
There are many different benefits coming from using a mouthwash to complete the daily dental hygiene practice. First of all you should ask your dentist which mouthwash is more indicated in your case. Based on your specific needs, your dental hygienist may suggest an over the counter product or an antibacterial one especially if you suffer because of gum disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis. There also are whitening mouthwashes you can use to remove stains on the surface of your teeth and get a more white smile.

Bad results of poor oral hygiene
Subsequences of poor oral hygiene may be as dramatic as teeth loss. You may think that if you skip brushing and flossing one or two times a day nothing can happen but you are wrong. As soon as after each meal, small food debrides remain in between your dental elements. Bacteria will start to consume that food producing toxins. As more food there is as more bacteria grow in number as more toxins will be produced. Those toxins erode the external surface of the tooth and inflame the supporting gums. The result will be tooth cavities and gingivitis.

If leaved untreated, gingivitis becomes periodontitis meaning that the bacteriologic infection follows the tooth root to reach the dental supporting structures such as periodontal ligaments and the jawbone. The next and last step of periodontitis is the tooth loss.

Gum diseases are not the only side effect of skipping oral hygiene. Cavities, pulpitis, periapical infection such as dental abscess, granuloma and cysts are also the negative result of poor or no dental hygiene at all.

Pulpitis, abscesses and granuloma
The cavity next step is known as pulpitis just because it affects the inner part of the tooth called pulp. Nerves, blood vessels and cells are all contained in the pulp, that’s why when the infection can reach them, usually people feel a lot of pain. The most common treatment for pulpitis is the root canal treatment. The dentist has to remove all the necrotized tissue as well as part of the tooth root.

When the bacteria infection already killed the pulp, the toothache disappears and people tend to think that everything solved by its own without the need of the dentist. This is completely wrong, the toothache simply decreases because the nerve that transmits the pain signal has been killed but the infection is still there and it is ready to create you additional more several issues.

Once the tooth nerve has been killed it means that the infection already reached the tip of the root and it is ready to get out of the dental element through the hole where nerves come in. At that point pulpitis becomes abscess because pus forms and the body immune system trys to limit its spreading by forming a kind of barrier around it.

As much pus accumulates as more swollen your cheek becomes. At some point the barrier cannot contain the pus anymore and the dental abscess will find a way to decrease the pressure within the boil. If you don’t go to the dentist for abscess drainage, the boil will pop by its own and the pus will drain in your mouth.

You may thing this is the end of the story but it is not. Even if the abscess has found the way to decrease the pressure within the boil, you still need that endodontic treatment called root canal in order to completely remove infection and bacteria from within the tooth.

Final thoughts
Home oral hygiene is very important and it is the only way to avoid all oral issues listed above. Do not forget that you should also visit your dentist every 6 months to get a complete mouth examination, x-rays (to discover hidden cavities) and your teeth professionally cleaned by the doctor or the dental hygienist.