Trivia is fun…until it’s scary. Here’s a couple questions that might be more on the scary side than the fun side. How many species of bacteria are alive in your mouth at any one time? Approximately 300. How many individual bacteria may be present in your mouth at any one time? Billions. (Yes, that’s billions. With a “b”.)
Bacteria in our mouth recycle what we eat and drink by consuming the sugars in our food. Bacteria especially like sugary foods and starches — contained in pasta, bread, and cereals, for example — that are easily converted to sugar. Many bacteria are essential to our health, but it’s the byproduct of their activity that causes problems for our teeth. When bacteria consume sugars, they produce a biofilm as a waste product. We know that biofilm as dental plaque.
Dental plaque produces acids that degrade tooth enamel which results in cavities. Bacteria in that plaque produce toxic substances that aggravate the gums, leaving them red, sensitive, and quick to bleed. Those bacteria also contribute to the development of gum disease — called gingivitis in its early form, and periodontitis in its more serious form.
Preventing tooth decay
The key to good oral health is to minimize the amount of food matter — especially sugary and starchy foods — lingering on your teeth in order to minimize the amount of plaque that accumulates on your teeth and gums. To the extent that plaque does accumulate, the objective is to remove it as quickly as possible before it can cause lasting damage.
There are three keys, in addition to annual professional teeth cleanings and twice-yearly dental checkups, to maintaining good oral health: brushing, flossing, and mouthwash.
Brushing
Brushing your teeth after every meal and sweetened drink — but no less frequently than twice a day — effectively removes food debris, sugary substances, and plaque from the surfaces of your teeth when done with a soft-bristled toothbrush and an antimicrobial toothbrush that contains fluoride.
Two keys to effectively brushing your teeth are to: brush all of the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of each tooth; and to brush your tongue.
Flossing
Cleaning between every tooth every day using dental floss or interdental cleaners will remove food debris, sugary substances, and plaque that accumulates between your teeth and at your gum line where toothbrushes simply can’t reach. When done properly, flossing can protect both your teeth and your gums. To help protect your gums from gum disease, gently slide your dental floss into the small gap between your gum tissue and the surface of your tooth after snuggling the floss up against the tooth itself.
Mouth rinses
Brushing and flossing sometimes leaves random food matter in and around your mouth. You can increase the cleanliness of your mouth, teeth, and gums by rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash. A mouthwash that contains fluoride will also help with your battle to prevent tooth decay.
Those three steps are essential things you can do yourself to protect your teeth, gums and oral health. But you’re not in this alone. Your dentist in Cranbrook and their hygienists and entire staff team are trained and available to keep your teeth clean, diagnose any threatening health issues, and respond to any tooth decay, gum disease or other health issues that may emerge.
Our dental hygienists in Cranbrook are professionally trained to keep your teeth clean, and to teach you the best practices of oral hygiene. Combined with annual teeth cleanings, twice-annual dental checkups, and dental treatment as recommended by your dentist, a commitment to daily oral hygiene will set you up for a lifetime of good oral health. Undergoing dental cleaning and exams in Cranbrook is essential to ensuring your oral health and reversing any negative issues that do arise before they become serious.
If you’ve been going it alone and want advice about best practices or some support to ensure your good oral health for your lifetime, contact a dentist near you for an assessment of your mouth and oral health. The professional team there will set up a schedule of regular dental cleaning and exams near you to get and keep you on the right track.