Many people usually pay great attention to dental health, because teeth are very important to each of us, so many people do some dental health care projects, such as teeth cleaning, etc. However, Many people have heard that dental cleaning will make teeth thinner. So will dental cleaning make teeth thinner? What should you pay attention to when taking care of your teeth?
1. Precautions for dental health care
1. Cleaning teeth cannot be done by brushing alone
If the exposed surface area of ??each tooth is counted as the range that may be contaminated , then brushing your teeth can only clean about 70% of the area. The gaps on the sides of the teeth and the last four molars in the upper and lower rows are difficult to clean through brushing.
How to use dental floss correctly. How to use dental floss: I suggest you search for the video, it is very easy to find. Wrap a piece of floss around both fingers, and then rub it up and down in the gap between the teeth close to the sides of the teeth. After cleaning each gap, pull out some new floss, and use a clean piece of floss to clean the next gap every day before going to bed. Cleaning once is the best result.
It should be noted that you should brush your teeth first, then floss, then rinse your mouth and spit out the residue removed by flossing. Flossing is not a substitute for brushing.
2. The consequences of not brushing your teeth
What will happen if you don’t brush your teeth or floss? The consequences of not brushing or flossing are very serious, because bacteria will multiply on the gums and tooth surfaces. Generally speaking, most bacteria will multiply downward, that is, they will multiply below the gums. Tartar will appear under the gums, and a large number of disease-causing bacteria will gather on the tartar. The highly toxic bacteria will cause the gums to bleed and become inflamed. If not paid attention to, the bacteria will continue to penetrate down the tooth surface and multiply on the alveolar bone. These anaerobic bacteria live by decomposing bone, and the result is alveolar bone. be digested. Teeth are held in place by alveolar bone, so when the alveolar bone is absorbed, the teeth will begin to loosen.
Healthy alveolar bone will wrap the entire tooth root, with only the crown exposed, but the absorbed alveolar bone will expose the tooth root, so it will become loose. Once the alveolar bone is digested by bacteria, it will not recover. The best situation is to maintain the current alveolar bone height through treatment. It is impossible for the alveolar bone to return to its previous height. This is also the reason why the elderly lose teeth. Even if they brush their teeth, part of the alveolar bone will be digested by bacteria over time, causing the teeth to become loose.
3. Three questions about wisdom teeth
Why are there wisdom teeth? Most people have four wisdom teeth. Some people will erupt in their early 20s, some will not erupt until they are in their 40s, and some people will never erupt in their lifetime. Wisdom teeth are the third molars of humans. However, due to the fine processing of food, the width of Homo erectus's jaws gradually decreased, leaving less space for the third molars, and they often grew at the wrong angle. The resulting triangle area is very difficult to clean, but it is very easy for food residues to get in. This is the hidden danger.
There is no space for the human third molar to grow. Compared with gorillas and Homo erectus, the space formed by the human jaw can only accommodate the width of 2 molars. The third molar is in a narrow space. Various distortions will occur in the angle after the space is created.
What are the dangers of wisdom teeth? Because cleaning is inconvenient and food residues tend to accumulate, the probability of dental caries is high here. Even the adjacent second molar is prone to dental caries, second molar pericoronitis, and alveolar bone is prone to severe resorption. In addition, the wisdom teeth are tilted against the second molars, causing unbearable pain in the second molars. This is the most common problem caused by wisdom teeth.
Should wisdom teeth be extracted? There are no caries or dental diseases on the wisdom teeth, and there are no lesions on the adjacent teeth (second molars). The angle is not too skewed, and the upper and lower teeth can form an occlusion. In this case, the wisdom teeth do not need to be extracted. In fact, such people have one more set of molars (4 useful ones). molars), have innate chewing advantages, but this type of people account for a very small proportion of the population.
Generally speaking, for most people, the angles of the left and right wisdom teeth in the lower row are very incorrect, while the angle in the upper row is much more normal. If the wisdom teeth in the lower row have been removed, they cannot form an occlusion with the upper teeth. The wisdom teeth will continue to grow downward until they grind into the lower gums, which will also be very painful. In addition, the upper wisdom teeth are difficult to clean and are easily eroded by bacteria. If other teeth can be used normally until the age of 70, then the wisdom teeth may not last until the age of 50. Problems will occur, and may even affect the second molars next to the wisdom teeth. To eliminate future problems, they can all be extracted.
4. Don’t resist teeth cleaning
Don’t worry about your teeth becoming “thinner” and the gaps between your teeth getting bigger. Doctors call teeth cleaning: supragingival scaling. Nowadays, ultrasonic scalers are basically used. Dental plaque is the main cause of gingivitis and periodontitis. These plaques form gradually and combine with minerals to form tartar. Healthy gums should be tightly wrapped around the teeth, but when there is tartar, the gums are wrapped around the tartar, and may become inflamed, swollen, or even suppurated.
People with severe tartar will feel that their teeth have become thinner after scaling, so they are worried that scaling will damage their teeth. In fact, the teeth that have been cleaned are the true condition of the teeth. Especially after the gum inflammation subsides, you will find gaps in the teeth. In fact, these are manifestations of alveolar bone being absorbed. If your teeth are not cleaned in time, the erosion of alveolar bones and gums by bacteria will worsen.
Severe periodontitis Severe periodontitis will cause severe resorption of the alveolar bone, and the roots of the teeth will be exposed and can be removed with just a pull.
Subgingival scaling is usually a dental cleaning once every 6 months. If the periodontal condition is not good, you need to go once every 3 months. If the doctor finds that the calculus is severe or you have periodontitis, you may be advised to do subgingival scaling, which involves using various scalers to reach inside the gums to scrape off the calculus and plaque. This method is more painful. But it is also a necessary treatment for periodontitis, and since the plaque under the gums cannot be seen clearly, it is a blind scraping and it is easy to miss some plaque.
Do I need to polish my teeth after scaling? The polished tooth surface will be smoother and tartar will be less likely to condense on the teeth, so you can consider it. Some people are worried that polishing will damage their teeth. This is an exaggerated worry. The hardness of tooth enamel is very high, and the material of the polishing wheel is much softer than the ultrasonic probe used for tooth scaling, so it will not cause damage to the teeth.
The natural color of the teeth is light yellow. I brush my teeth very carefully and floss. Do I need to brush my teeth? It is also necessary. Statistics show that even after brushing your teeth carefully, bacteria will start to breed on the teeth again in about 30 minutes, because there are always a lot of bacteria living in our mouths. These bacteria have the opportunity to form tartar with the minerals in saliva. No one can avoid it, so everyone needs to have their teeth cleaned.
5. How to protect teeth
How to protect teeth: For children, let them develop the habit of brushing twice a day and flossing once at night before changing teeth. If necessary, orthodontics (wearing large steel braces) can be done promptly. Although the cost is high, the average cost of this project in the United States is about US$6,500, so it is still much cheaper in China. After orthodontic treatment, the teeth are not only straight and beautiful, but also because the teeth are arranged neatly, the chance of food residue is greatly reduced. During the plastic surgery period, special attention should be paid to cleaning the teeth.
Each of us must develop the habit of dental care every 3-6 months. Doctors usually perform dental treatment (scaling teeth, removing tartar) every time. If there is gum inflammation, we will Take medicine and remove wisdom teeth when appropriate.
2. The dangers of teeth cleaning
(1) Enlarging the gaps between teeth
Due to incomplete oral cleaning in daily habits, the more tartar builds up on the teeth. The more plaque accumulates, the gums between the teeth will begin to recede. If the tartar is removed at this time, the gaps between the teeth will become larger because there is no gum filling.
(2) Cold and hot stimulation is obvious
When tartar accumulates between the gums and teeth to a certain extent, it will irritate the roots of the teeth. It isolates the gums from external stimulation. Once the tartar on the teeth is cleaned, the root part of the teeth will be exposed, making the teeth sensitive to hot and cold stimulation. At this time, it is best to go to the hospital regularly for care, avoid eating spicy food, and strictly ensure oral hygiene.
(3) The teeth are obviously loose
Some friends will develop periodontal disease due to long-term tartar accumulation, and the gums will begin to recede. After cleaning the tartar, you will obviously feel the looseness of the teeth. At this time, it is recommended to undergo specialist periodontal treatment.
(4) Damage to the gums
When the tartar is thoroughly cleaned, the root of the tooth may be exposed. If professional treatment is not carried out in time, the gums will be damaged, which will not only cause pain and discomfort to the patient. Tolerance will also aggravate the formation of periodontal disease.