Good oral hygiene

• Good oral hygiene is when the mouth and teeth look and smell healthy.
  • • Teeth are free of debris and clean with no plaque, decay, tartar and cavities.
    • Fresh breath.
    • Teeth are firmly fixed in gums and gums don’t bleed or hurt when brushed.
    • No more sensitivity to teeth.
• Gargle salt water as it is a natural antiseptic
• Use a mouthwash
• Consider to rinse and wash mouth with sesame oil (oil pulling, for short term use only) and then spit out (do not use if allergic to this product).
• Reduction of bad breath can also be achieved by reducing the intra-oral bacterial count by disrupting the tongue biofilm, common methods include tongue brushing, tongue scraping, and chewing gum. Gentle but effective deep tongue cleaning should be an important daily routine.
• Allow hot foods to cool
• Avoid eating hard foods/chew foods
• Avoid anything that makes your teeth sensitive
• Avoid food or drinks that are sugary
• Avoid products too hot or too cold
• Avoid hard, sharp and tough foods
• Certain foods can trigger ulcers. One must try to identify what they are as everyone is different. Typical examples include:

• • Chocolate
  • Tea/Coffee
  • Peanuts
  • Strawberry
  • Almonds
  • Tomatoes
  • Wheat/Flour
  • Colouring
  • Preservative foods
  • Hot spicy dishes
  • Crisps Crusty bread
  • Citrus products Sharp food with sharp edges

• Drink plenty of water
• Use a straw, if have an uncomfortable mouth only with cold liquids, hot liquids will burn throat.

• Floss at least once daily (not vigorously),a wide range of products are available.
  • Dental floss
  • Tape floss
  • Tooth picks
  • String floss
  • Interdental cleansing products
  • Water jet wash systems

• Sugar-free gums (diabetics or if have intolerance to sugar or carbohydrate ingestion problems or acid problems should talk to a dentist first) are available to stimulate saliva production.
• Brush your teeth twice daily. Make sure the head is small enough in order to reach all parts of the mouth especially those with crooked or irregular teeth.

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Brushes

• Many brushes have many features and select accordingly to personal advice.
• Brushing hard can increase tooth sensitivity and damage gums and tooth enamel causing toothache and pain and infection.
• A soft one is good for very sensitive gums, or if one does brush hard consider a flexible neck or super soft bristles, so one can brush in comfort.
• Toothbrushes should generally be changed every three months as worn out brushes can damage gums.
• Electric toothbrushes are available for those who find hand movement brushing difficult or not effective.

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Toothpastes

A wide range of ingredients are available some have a combination of ingredients  examples include:

For Plaque and Debris:

• Sodium laural sulphate and sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate these are known as detergents and helps the toothpaste to foam and loosen plaque and debris on the tooth surface.

For sensitive teeth:

• Potassium chloride/nitrate: they calm the nerves down in your teeth.
• Strontium chloride/acetate: they stop nerve being stimulated in your teeth.

For tooth decay:

• Fluoride containing toothpaste or washes – help prevent tooth decay by making the enamel (outer part of tooth) ore stronger, resistant to acids produced by bacteria.

For tartar teeth:

• Pyrosphosphate-Stop the dental plaque changing to cause holes in teeth and build up of tartar.

For Bleeding gums:

• Triclosan and Stannous Flouride -– antibacterial agent that fights bacterial to form less plaque, to form less tartar and less bleeding gums.

High flouride toothpastes:

• It is important to promote remineralisation of the enamel surface of the tooth through fluoride therapy to prevent tooth decay.
• Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in some countries public water supply, but is also added to top up levels in the supply in some areas.
• It is also in toothpaste to help strengthen tooth enamel, making teeth more resistant to acids.
• There are a range of toothpastes available and the recommended level of fluoride varies for different age groups .
• Dentists can also apply fluoride varnish or gel to the teeth at regular intervals during the year.

 

All patients should be advised to spit out toothpaste and to not rinse with water or mouthwashes (including fluoride rinses) immediately after toothbrushing, as these can wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste, reducing its preventive effects

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Denture wearers:

For further information please click: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/ld/advising-denture-wearers-in-community-pharmacy

Tips for young babies and children:

• Breast feeding provides the best nutrition for babies (use formula only if advised from a pediatrician or medical doctor)
• Do not add sugar to weaning foods or drinks as well as reducing  the frequency and amount of sugary food and drinks.
• Parents and carers should start brushing their children’s teeth as soon as their teeth erupt. Normally twice daily (specially last thing at night) with a smear of toothpaste containing no less than 1,000 ppm fluoride .
• Children under three years should use no more than a smear of toothpaste (a thin film of paste covering less than three-quarters of the brush) and not eat or lick toothpaste from the tube

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Dentists

• Visit your dentist at least every 6 months and when needed if oral issue occurs. Don’t prolong it as the gums are prone to bacterial attach and a worse condition may develop requiring stronger treatment.

• Have regular dental checkups and try to correct any conditions that damage your mouth e.g. braces, dentures, sharp, uneven teeth.

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Tooth bleeding after extraction or tooth fallen out:

• Sit the patient upright
• Advice the patient to place a clean rolled up cotton handkerchief or gauze directly over the extraction socket
• Ask the patient to bite down firmly for 20 minutes- if there is no opposing tooth to bite onto, use firm finger pressure
• After 20 minutes remove the pressure and check if bleeding has stopped (if not refer to dentist)
• If bleeding uncontrolled or if feel dizzy seek urgent medical help

If bleeding stopped:

• No spitting or rinsing the mouth for 24 hours
• No vigorous exercise or hot drinks/hot foods for 24 hours
• No smoking
• No alcohol
• One can brush their teeth , but do not place toothbrush over extraction site
• After 24 hours rinse with salty water
• Follow previous advice above if bleeding starts again and visit dentist
• If bleeding uncontrolled or if feel dizzy seek urgent medical help

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Natural treatments and tips (DR Axe)