Best Practices For Healthy Teeth

Healthy, beautiful and white teeth – that’s what everyone wants. But what about our dental health and oral hygiene? Find out everything you need to know about teeth in our special.

“Healthy begins in the mouth – more enjoyment at 65 plus” – that is the motto of this year’s Dental Health Day, which, like every year, takes place on September 25, 2012. Across Germany, various events, competitions and lectures draw attention to the topic of oral hygiene. Health insurance companies, health authorities and many dentists organize their own events that focus on healthy and beautiful teeth. And with our special we would also like to show how you can optimally care for your teeth.

You can find an overview of the events around September 25 on the ” Action Group Dental Health Day ” page .

Facts and figures about the tooth

Brushing in the morning :
86 percent (survey by Oral B) of Germans reach for their toothbrush in the morning.

Brushing in the evening:
Only 20 percent of those surveyed brush their teeth before going to bed.

Men who hate toothbrushing:
Almost 25 percent of men skip brushing their teeth in the evening.

The right toothbrush:
Around 63 percent of Germans use a manual toothbrush, although 43 percent of them would actually like to switch to an electronic toothbrush.

The manual toothbrush:
Users of manual toothbrushes only brush their teeth for 46 seconds on average.

The perfect toothpaste :
The most popular toothpaste (25 percent) is an all-round protection toothpaste.

Trend whitening toothpaste:
Almost 20 percent use a whitening toothpaste. This puts them in second place for the most used type of toothpaste.

The perfect timing:
68 percent of those surveyed clean too briefly, too little, unsystematically or make other mistakes. This means that only 32 percent, i.e. less than one in three, have good oral hygiene.

Cleaning behaviour:
Right-handed people clean better with their left hand than with their right.

Common cleaning mistakes:
We often clean too briefly, too hard, unsystematically or use the wrong cleaning technique.

10 important dental care tips

1. Brush your teeth twice a day
It is important that you do not brush your teeth immediately after eating. If you have eaten fruit or drunk juice, brushing your teeth can wear down the enamel of your teeth. So rather wait an hour before the toothbrush comes into play.

2. For at least two minutes per side
We brush our teeth for about 45 seconds on average. This is clearly not enough.

3. always with system
You should not forget a tooth when brushing your teeth. The tough ones in the furthest corner are also important and should not be forgotten. But be careful: When brushing, you should not exert too much pressure, but brush with a system: from the chewing surface, outer surface and inner surface of the tooth

4. Pay attention to the interdental spaces
Not only the tooth surface should be well cared for, the interdental spaces are also important. It’s best to use dental floss. This is ideal for cleaning the gaps.

5. Take care of your tongue
Not only should your teeth be taken care of, your tongue also needs a certain amount of care. Why? Very simple: A harmful bacterial coating forms on the back of your tongue, which can lead to bad breath, among other things.

6. Use toothpaste containing
fluoride The fluoride in toothpaste offers extra good protection for the teeth.

7. The oral care products
Before you resort to (wrong) aids, you should visit your dentist and seek advice.

8. Change
your toothbrush Your toothbrush will develop bacteria over time and, if not changed every three months, can lead to poor oral hygiene.

9. Eat tooth-healthy food
Especially in children, the tooth enamel has not yet hardened and is therefore more sensitive. The rule is: Better to enjoy in moderation than in bulk. So pay particular attention to sugar-free foods or those that contain less sugar .

10. Visit to the dentist for a check
-up Despite all these tips, you should of course go to the dentist regularly.

Interview with Dr. with. dent. Rössler

What really matters in daily oral care is explained by dentist Dr. medical dent. Ralf Roessler. He is of the opinion: “Mostly there is still something to improve!”

Vita.de: Dr. Rössler, what about our oral health?
dr Rössler: It keeps getting better. And yet caries and periodontitis are still something of a widespread disease and very widespread. In other words: in most cases there is still a lot to improve in daily oral care.

What can be the consequences of poor oral hygiene?
This can range from cosmetic impairments to damage to general health. Studies show that, for example, periodontal diseases can lead to a higher risk of heart attack and pregnant women can have a risk of premature birth. However, the possible loss of a previously healthy tooth should be motivation enough to practice efficient oral care.What is usually done wrong?
It is usually too short and not cleaned properly, i.e. not thoroughly enough. The spaces between the teeth are often forgotten. And the toothbrush is changed too seldom.So what is important when brushing your teeth every day?
Especially that the teeth are thoroughly cleaned for at least two minutes. The system is more important than a specific “plastering technique”. This means that all surfaces of the teeth must be cleaned. And of course the spaces between the teeth are also important. Harmful plaque also hides here. And then, of course, the toothbrush should be changed every three months. Overall, of course, you always have to pay attention to the choice of the right oral care products. And with all thorough care, a regular visit to the dentist for check-ups is of course also important.

Crystal Waston MD

Crystal Waston has a degree in Cross Media Production and Publishing. At vital.de she gives everyday tips and deals with topics related to women's health, sport, and nutrition.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top