"I bleed when I washed my teeth; it must have been broken." "After I washed, the cracks became larger and the teeth were still loose, and I wouldn't wash them again." These misconceptions about dental cleaning are widely shared in life. Some people delay treatment because they have a misunderstanding about dental cleaning, which eventually leads to avoidable oral diseases. September 20 is National Dental Day. Take care of your teeth. Start by washing your teeth once.
Are you unwell enough to wash your teeth?
Periodontitis is a "silent disease"
“Not long ago, a patient in his 40s came to the doctor because of a swollen and loose tooth. An X-ray revealed that his teeth had absorbed to the root tip.”At the Xihongmen department of Beijing Oral Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, Ji Jin, deputy physician at the Oral Microsurgery Center, described the case to reporters that impressed her.“Just as there is no earth around the roots of a tree, the trunk will fall. Similarly, teeth are grown in the dental bones. When the dental bone is gone, the teeth will loose and fall off.”Ji Jin explained.
In the end, the doctors offered a treatment plan to remove eight teeth, which the patient found difficult to accept for a while. It is periodontitis, which many people ignore, that causes this. This may be avoided if you start regular dental cleaning early.
Periodontitis is often referred to by oral doctors as the "silent disease" - the early pain is not obvious but it secretly destroys the supporting tissue of the teeth. Ji Jin said bluntly: "This disease does not 'talk', and once 'open mouth', it may be difficult to recover."
The mouth is an environment where many bacteria are present. If brushing is not in place, bacteria will continue to adhere to the tooth, forming plaque, which gradually calcifies over time.“They become dental stones like those in a kettle, which stick to the tooth at first and bleed at best when brushing. If left unattended, it will cause the toothbone to shrink.”"Studies have shown that periodontitis not only harms the oral cavity, but also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other diseases, which is related to whole-body health," Ji explained.
Ji Jin regrets that many dental outpatients do not experience significant pain.“It doesn't hurt, Not swollen and able to eat, "bleeding from brushing is either ignored or simply attributed to 'fire'," and when a loose tooth comes to the doctor, "the periodontal tissue is likely to have suffered serious damage, and it is very difficult to restore it to health, often with the consequences of having a tooth removed." She sighed.
In addition, with the popularization of dental implant technology, many patients with missing teeth see dental implants as a "once and for all" solution. Ji Jin cautioned that this perception needs to be corrected. "If dental implants are not properly maintained, they will also cause periodontitis." She mentioned that when she had just treated a patient who had had a tooth for 10 years, "the bone around the implant had also atrophied."
Therefore, early prevention of the disease is far more important for dental health than treatment after an attack. Dentists recommend that from the development of a baby tooth to permanent tooth replacement, develop a lifelong habit of regular visits to the dentist, regular oral examinations and necessary cleansing.
“The scientific name of dental cleaning is gum cleansing. During dental washing, doctors can, based on experience, detect other problems, such as detecting small cavities of dental cavities and alerting for timely repair. If you see a blocked teeth, tell them to have them removed as soon as possible; The bite isn't good, orthodontic advice...”Ji Jin said.
Have your teeth become soft and loose after dental cleaning?
Discomfort had previously been "covered up"
Many patients reported bleeding during dental cleaning, believing that the cleaning injured the gums. Ji Jin made it clear: "Actually, bleeding is a symptom, not a side effect, and it is the most obvious sign of inflammation of the tissue around the tooth."
It is difficult to see completely healthy, non-inflammatory gums clinically, she explained, and even professional dentists who are very conscious of their own dental cleaning still experience small bleeding when cleaning their teeth, which is the result of inflammation. In fact, bleeding gums are the main complaint of many patients who come to dental clinics. "There is bleeding when brushing your teeth and bleeding while biting things. Even some elderly people wake up in the morning and find their saliva red. They go to internists, digestive departments, ear, nose and throat departments, only to find out that it is periodontal inflammation." Ji Jin said that tooth washing and deeper subfacial surgery are precisely to remove plaque, stones and other plaque and quell inflammation. Many patients come because of bleeding and do not bleed after cleaning their teeth.
According to reports, modern ultrasonic cleaning machines rely on the mechanical and hollowing effects of high-frequency vibration to crush dental stones, rather than the cutting of the tooth, which some people misunderstand. Its water spraying system cools the device while flushing away debris from the falling debris. When operation, the work point is aimed at the junction between the toothstone and the tooth face, and the vibration energy mainly affects the stones, and does not directly wear the enamel and damage the gums.
Many patients feel their teeth are sour and sensitive after washing their teats, and they are uncomfortable encountering hot, cold or sweet. Ji Jin drew a vivid analogy: "It's like someone who has been covering a large quilt and suddenly throws it away, and must feel cold."
The roots are supposed to be surrounded by gums and sloth bones. In patients with periodontitis, when the sloth stones atrophy, the roots become covered with dental stones. "A lot of people don't have symptoms before they wash their teeth, and when we get the stones off, the roots are exposed." At this time, the heat, hot, sour and sweet stimulation directly acts on the tooth root and will cause sensitivity. "Many people have this problem when they wash their teeth for the first time." The sensitivity can be gradually adapted, Ji said. "If the sensitivity is particularly severe, doctors will apply some desensitization medication to help relieve the symptoms, but the earlier you look at periodontitis, the better."
She mentioned in particular that some patients are reluctant to wash their teeth for fear of tartness, and as a result periodontitis is becoming more and more serious. Ji Jin once treated a middle-aged patient whose sensitivity symptoms were so severe that even sour fruits such as apricots and oranges could not be eaten because the gums were shrinking. "Everybody's disease behaves differently. Some patients have thin gums and thin grooves, and the gums and bones shrink more quickly when inflammation occurs."
In addition, many people are concerned about whether dental cleaning can whiten their teeth. Ji Jin explained that cleaning your teeth can remove some foreign color spots, such as smoke stains left by smoking, drinking tea or coffee. However, to make the color of the teeth themselves gray, it needs to be achieved through drug whitening or laser whitening, which is part of a cosmetic restoration program.“Some related propaganda exaggerates the effectiveness of such projects, claiming that they will be as white as in an ad picture when done, which is actually difficult to achieve quickly. Particularly severe tooth discoloration may require porcelain veneer repair.”Ji Jin said.
Want to keep your teeth healthy for a long time?
Develop proper dental care habits
Periodontal disease is an area that needs long-term maintenance. Instead of waiting until the teeth are loosened before "fixing the dead sheep," it is better to incorporate oral cleanliness and health management into your daily life.
Effective cleaning starts with three things. First, the method of brushing teeth can be used by adults, i.e., brush the hair about 45 degrees with the face of the teeth, gently press into the gum line, shake slightly, and brush toward the crown; If it feels too complicated, the general population can also "draw a circle" to clean lightly. The focus is to brush the cheekside, tongue side, and bit side of each tooth for at least 3 minutes each time, once each morning and evening, and it is more important before bed at night.
Second, dental sevice cleansing: brushing can only handle part of the tooth surface, and the adjacent gap is a "blind area" for bacterial plaque cleansing. Ji Jin specifically emphasized the role of floss, not waiting for "the filling of teeth before using," but should clean every seam every day; Those with wider gaps of teeth can use interdental brushes, and people with dental implants and orthodontia can supplement their toothbrushes. Third, toothpaste choice is preferred, which contains fluoride toothpaste, which can promote the remineralization of tooth enamel and reduce the risk of dental caries. If middle-aged and elderly people have root surface exposures and are sensitive to cold, hot, sour and sweet, they can use anti-allergic toothpaste under the guidance of a doctor. Ji Jin cautioned that it is not recommended for people without oral inflammation to use mouthwash containing antibacterial ingredients for a long time. Healthy mouths can maintain normal bacteria, but misuse may disrupt the oral microecology.
Diet and habits also have a long-term impact. Eat less sweets, drink less fizzy drinks, rinse your mouth with water after meals, and stop eating after brushing your teeth before going to bed. Actively quit smoking, as smoking increases the risk of periodontal disease and oral cancer.
Children begin to clean their teeth as soon as their first teeth sprout. They learn to brush their tees in an arc between the ages of 3 and 6. Parents can assist their children in brushing their teats. Pay attention to the amount of fluoride toothpaste used, about the size of a "peas" at a time. Older people should use soft-soft toothbrushes, floss and teeth brushes, and consistently use fluoride toothpaste to prevent root tooth decay. Active dentures and dental implants also need to be cleaned daily and consulted regularly.
In special populations, pregnant women are often overlooked. Ji Jin advises women with a fertility plan to have an oral exam, wash their teeth once when necessary, and deal with repeatedly inflamed teeth as early as possible. Because women are affected by hormonal levels after pregnancy, their gums are more sensitive to plaque, and pregnancy gingivitis may occur. In a small number of people, gum-like growths may occur, and serious problems may affect eating and daily life. If you do experience a bleeding problem with a swollen gums during pregnancy, don't be afraid. The dentist can fix the problem. Local rinsing can stop the bleeding in early (the first 3 months of pregnancy) and late (the last 3 months of the pregnancy); The second trimester (4-6 months) of pregnancy is relatively stable and basic treatments such as cleansing can be carried out.
Ji Jin cautioned that some families maintain the old idea that "you can't brush your teeth in cold water while sitting on the moon," and some mothers do not brush their teeth for many days, and after going out of the moon, they develop dental stones, red gums and even loose teeth. The correct practice is to brush and floss your teeth regularly after birth. If you experience abnormal bleeding or swelling, see the dentist in time.
"It's easier to clean your mouth and keep checking regularly than to fix a problem, and it's better to preserve your natural teeth." Ji Jin said.
The medical office is accessible.
Can 'old teeth' be avoided?
Ji Jin: "Old teeth" is a stereotype. In fact, when people get old, they don't necessarily lose their teeth.
The main causes of tooth loss are dental caries and periodontal disease, and the cause of these two oral diseases is plaque. Plaque builds up on the teeth, causing the teeth to form cavities commonly known as "worm teeth." If not treated promptly, the teeth will rot in pieces and eventually the underlying roots will either fall off on their own or can only be pulled out. Periodontitis, on the other hand, damages the tissue surrounding the teeth, and the teeth will loose and fall out due to the loss of the surrounding tissue.
Once you understand the real causes of tooth loss, it turns out that age is not the main cause of tooth erosion. As long as we maintain oral hygiene and regular oral examination to prevent the occurrence of dental caries and periodontal disease, we can maintain healthy teeth in old age. (Looking ahead to a new era)