HOW TO MAINTAIN A CORRECT ORAL HYGIENE

• Brushing your teeth regularly is the first step to take to maintain a clean and healthy mouth. It is recommended to do it after the main meals, within the next half hour at the most.
• Even if you think you have a healthy mouth, it is advisable to go to the dentist on a regular basis. In these periodic visits, the specialist performs oral cleaning, removes tartar from the denture and detects possible problems that could go undetected. In children, having less mineralized teeth, two annual visits are recommended.
• A balanced diet is synonymous with oral health. Special care must be taken with meals between the hours, since not usually accompanied by a later brushing, contribute to accumulate in the mouth food remains that favor the growth of bacteria. In snacks between meals, especially sugary foods should be avoided. Bacteria react with these foods by secreting acid, which demineralizes teeth and makes them more prone to tooth decay.

BRUSHED

• The first phase of brushing must be done dry, using the brush without water and without toothpaste. In this phase we will eliminate the bacteria adhered to the surface of the teeth.
• Brushing should be done gently. If done in a very energetic way you run the risk of decreasing the height of the gums and wearing down the dental enamel.
• The brushing must be meticulous, reaching all the corners with diverse passages. The brush should move smoothly and in very short spaces. The ideal movement is elliptical or circular, like that of the electric brush, but without it changing position.
• To brush the deepest part of the mouth, it is necessary to close it, since if you keep your mouth open it is difficult to access the brush to the last molars.
• Particular attention should be paid to the groove between the gum and the tooth as the bacteria tend to be retained there.
• It is advisable to brush the tongue at the end of brushing, because the bacteria are also hidden there.

THE BRUSH

• The toothbrush must be made of synthetic filaments, made of special nylon and rounded tips. Soft brushes are preferred to hard brushes and small brushes to larger brushes.
• Change the brush when it appears damaged. As a result of a very energetic brushing, the brush deforms by opening its filaments. And even if the deterioration is not obvious, the brush should be replaced every three months at most. The wear may go unnoticed, but it no longer fulfills its function as it did at first.
• Even if the brush comes with a cap or cover, it will only be used if you carry the brush in a bag. At home it is convenient to leave the brush in the air to dry properly. It is also not advisable to keep it immersed in a glass with water.
• Used properly, electric brushes allow good dental hygiene to be maintained. With the latest generation of electric brushes, the best results are achieved if the brushing takes more than three minutes. The electric brush is especially suitable with people with orthodontics or with those who have some type of physical or psychic disability. In the latter, the use of an electric appliance facilitates brushing, whether they do it themselves or if a family member helps them.