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Oral Hygiene



Maintaining oral hygiene is as important as the cleanliness of rest of the body. An unhealthy mouth makes the smile greatly unaesthetic & leads to a very unwelcoming odour. Apart from the obvious reasons it also serves as a depository to a number of diseases which can affect the whole body.  Thus, it is imperative to take good care of the mouth as well and stop being indifferent to it.
A number of oral hygiene aids are available namely, tooth brushes, tooth pastes/powders, mouthwashes, dental floss, inter-dental brushes. While making a choice in regard to tooth brush it is advisable to use a soft bristle brush as it prevents abrading the teeth. The tooth paste in use should preferably contain a fluoride compound as it prevents caries. It is important to brush twice a day using a proper technique. While brushing care should be taken to brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces (towards tongue & palate) & the chewing areas of the teeth as they serve as harbours for plaque. Mouthwashes help in downsizing the bad odour & also reduce plaque build-up. It should be diluted before use & should not be used immediately after brushing as it will wash out the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on the teeth. Choose a different time to use mouthwash, such as after lunch or at bed time.  Don't eat or drink for 30 minutes after using a mouthwash.
Dental floss & inter-dental brushes help to clean the areas in between the teeth that are not accessible by tooth brushes. Dental floss also helps in reducing the gum diseases & bad breath as it removes the plaque which accumulates along the gum line. Inter-dental brushes should be used in cases where there are spaces between the teeth. A number of sizes ranging from Size 1 – 5 or 6 are available; to be used in accordance with the spacing between the teeth as the brush should tightly fit into the space for effective cleaning.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Dr. Nandika Babele
                                                                                                     BDS, MDS
                                                                    Oral Phycisian & Maxillofacial Radiologist

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