2
Further information can be obtained from the Dental Practice Education Research Unit ARCPOH, School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005 Email [email protected] Website //www.arcpoh.adelaide.edu.au/dperu Oral Hygiene Pamphlet No. 1 Colgate Dental Education Programs How often should I brush my teeth? Brush twice a day – in the morning after breakfast – at bedtime [in the evening] to clean off plaque that has accumulated during the day. EVERY surface of EVERY tooth twice EVERY day Brush away all plaque on and between your teeth, and next to the gum line. Use dental floss to clean difficult-to-reach areas. Other cleaning aids may be recommended by your dentist. Regular dental visits will enable your dentist or hygienist to inform you of any changes required to improve your oral hygiene. With good oral hygiene your teeth and gums should last a lifetime Toothbrushing – some common questions How often do I need to replace my toothbrush? Toothbrushes should be replaced before they become too shaggy. If you brush effectively, your toothbrush may show signs of wear sooner than you expect. This will vary depending on your brushing technique, but your toothbrush should be replaced every 2–3 months. What toothpaste should I use? The type of toothpaste does not matter as long as it contains FLUORIDE. Children under the age of six should use a low-fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride in toothpaste helps to prevent tooth decay and repair early decay in the tooth enamel. Brushing effectively to remove plaque helps prevent gum disease. Your dentist can advise you on toothpastes for specific problems, such as sensitive teeth or to help with the control of gum problems. Tartar control toothpastes contain anti-tartar ingredients that may help in reducing tartar buildup. What does it mean if my gums bleed? If your gums bleed a little – do not be too worried, as you probably are not damaging your gums. A little bleeding most likely indicates a build-up of plaque in that area, and the gums have reacted by becoming inflamed. If you keep brushing effectively for a few days, the bleeding should stop – a sign that your gums are getting better. If bleeding persists, see your dentist. Effective toothbrushing Toothbrush showing signs of wear. Effective Toothbrushing 16/6/06 10:03 AM Page 1

Effective Toothbrushing - University of Adelaide · Plaque is the soft sticky film containing millions of bacteria that forms on the teeth continually. Control of plaque is essential

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Page 1: Effective Toothbrushing - University of Adelaide · Plaque is the soft sticky film containing millions of bacteria that forms on the teeth continually. Control of plaque is essential

Furt

her

info

rmati

on

can

be o

btai

ned

from

the

Denta

l P

ract

ice E

duca

tion R

ese

arc

h U

nit

A

RC

PO

H, S

chool of

Denti

stry

, Th

e U

niv

ers

ity

of

Adela

ide,

South

Aust

ralia 5

005

Em

ail d

peru

@adela

ide.e

du.a

u

Web

site

//w

ww

.arc

poh.

adel

aide

.edu

.au/

dper

u

Ora

l Hyg

iene

Pam

phle

t N

o. 1

Col

gate

Den

tal E

duca

tion

Pro

gram

s

How

oft

en s

houl

d I

brus

h m

y te

eth?

Bru

sh t

wic

e a

day

– in

the

mor

ning

aft

er b

reak

fast

– at

bed

time

[in t

he e

veni

ng]

to c

lean

off

pla

que

that

has

acc

umul

ated

dur

ing

the

day.

EVER

Y s

urfa

ceof

EVER

Y t

ooth

twic

e EV

ERY d

ay

•B

rush

aw

ay

all

plaq

ue

on

and

betw

een

your

teet

h, a

nd n

ext

to t

he g

um li

ne.

•U

se d

enta

l flo

ss t

o cl

ean

diff

icul

t-to-

reac

h ar

eas.

•O

ther

cle

anin

g ai

ds m

ay b

e re

com

men

ded

byyo

ur d

entis

t.

•R

egul

ar d

enta

l vi

sits

will

ena

ble

your

den

tist

orhy

gien

ist

to i

nfor

m y

ou o

f an

y ch

ange

s re

quire

dto

impr

ove

your

ora

l hyg

iene

.

Wit

h go

od o

ral h

ygie

neyo

ur t

eeth

and

gum

s sh

ould

last

a li

feti

me

Toot

hbru

shin

g –

som

e co

mm

on q

uest

ions

How

oft

en d

o I

need

to

repl

ace

my

toot

hbru

sh?

•To

othb

rush

es s

houl

d be

rep

lace

d be

fore

the

ybe

com

e to

o sh

aggy

.If

yo

u br

ush

effe

ctiv

ely,

yo

urto

othb

rush

m

aysh

ow

sign

s of

wea

r so

oner

than

you

exp

ect.

This

w

ill

vary

depe

ndin

g on

your

br

ushi

ngte

chni

que,

bu

tyo

ur t

ooth

brus

h sh

ould

be

repl

aced

eve

ry2–3

mon

ths.

Wha

t to

othp

aste

sho

uld

I us

e?•

The

type

of

toot

hpas

te d

oes

not

mat

ter

as lon

gas

it c

onta

ins

FLU

OR

IDE.

Chi

ldre

n un

der

the

age

of s

ix s

houl

d us

e a

low

-fluo

ride

toot

hpas

te.

•Fl

uorid

e in

too

thpa

ste

help

s to

pre

vent

too

thde

cay

and

repa

ir ea

rly

deca

y in

th

e to

oth

enam

el.

•B

rush

ing

effe

ctiv

ely

to

rem

ove

plaq

ue

help

spr

even

t gu

m d

isea

se.

•Yo

ur d

entis

t ca

n ad

vise

you

on

toot

hpas

tes

for

spec

ific

prob

lem

s, s

uch

as s

ensi

tive

teet

h or

to

help

with

the

con

trol

of

gum

pro

blem

s.

•Ta

rtar

co

ntro

l to

othp

aste

s co

ntai

n an

ti-ta

rtar

ingr

edie

nts

that

m

ay

help

in

re

duci

ng

tart

arbu

ildup

.

Wha

t do

es it

mea

n if

my

gum

s bl

eed?

If yo

ur g

ums

blee

d a

little

– d

o no

t be

too

wor

ried,

as y

ou p

roba

bly

are

not

dam

agin

g yo

ur g

ums.

A lit

tle b

leed

ing

mos

t lik

ely

indi

cate

s a

build

-up

of

plaq

ue

in

that

ar

ea,

and

the

gum

s ha

vere

acte

d by

bec

omin

g in

flam

ed.

•If

you

keep

bru

shin

g ef

fect

ivel

y fo

r a

few

day

s,th

e bl

eedi

ng s

houl

d st

op –

a s

ign

that

you

r gu

ms

are

gett

ing

bett

er.

•If

blee

ding

per

sist

s, s

ee y

our

dent

ist.

Eff

ect

ive

tooth

brush

ing

Toot

hbru

sh s

how

ing

sign

s of

wea

r.

Effective Toothbrushing 16/6/06 10:03 AM Page 1

Page 2: Effective Toothbrushing - University of Adelaide · Plaque is the soft sticky film containing millions of bacteria that forms on the teeth continually. Control of plaque is essential

Nea

rly e

very

body

bru

shes

the

ir te

eth

atle

ast

once

a d

ay b

ut m

any

peop

le c

ould

brus

h th

eir

teet

h m

ore

effe

ctiv

ely.

To b

rush

you

r te

eth

effe

ctiv

ely,

it

is i

mpo

rtan

t th

atyo

u:

•us

e FL

UO

RID

ATED

too

thpa

ste

•re

cogn

ise

the

diff

eren

ce b

etw

een

a cl

ean

toot

hsu

rfac

e an

d on

e w

ith p

laqu

e on

it

•ha

ve a

sys

tem

atic

app

roac

h to

ens

ure

that

all

part

s of

the

mou

th a

nd tee

th h

ave

been

cle

aned

part

icul

arly

nea

r th

e gu

m l

ine

and

in-b

etw

een

the

teet

h

•br

ush

in a

way

tha

t do

es n

ot c

ause

dam

age

toth

e te

eth

or g

ums.

Cha

ngin

g th

e w

ay y

ou b

rush

you

r te

eth

take

s tim

e:

– yo

u ha

ve t

o 'u

nlea

rn' an

old

hab

it an

d es

tabl

ish

ane

w o

ne

– pr

actis

e yo

ur n

ew tec

hniq

ue s

low

ly a

nd tho

roug

hly

whe

n yo

u ar

e no

t tir

ed o

r ru

shed

.

Four

sim

ple

step

s to

too

thbr

ushi

ng

STE

P O

NE

–Id

entif

y pl

aque

•by

usi

ng a

dis

clos

ing

tabl

et

to

high

light

the

plaq

ue

build

-up

on y

our

teet

h

Plaq

ue a

ccum

ulat

ion

stai

ned

red

at t

he g

um m

argi

n af

ter

use

of p

laqu

e-di

sclo

sing

tabl

ets.

•by

run

ning

you

r to

ngue

ove

r th

e su

rfac

es o

f yo

urte

eth

•pl

aque

is

mos

t of

ten

left

nex

t to

the

gum

lin

e,pa

rtic

ular

ly o

n th

e ch

eek

surf

aces

of

your

top

back

tee

th, a

nd the

ton

gue-

side

sur

face

s of

you

rlo

wer

bac

k te

eth

•yo

u w

ill l

earn

to

reco

gnis

e th

e ro

ughe

r, fu

rry

feel

ing

of p

laqu

e bu

ild-u

p ne

ar t

he g

um li

ne.

Wor

k yo

ur w

ay c

aref

ully

aro

und

your

mou

th,

mov

ing

the

brus

h ba

ckw

ards

an

d fo

rwar

ds,

usin

g ve

rysm

all

mov

emen

ts;

only

two

or t

hree

tee

th a

t a

time.

Lon

g br

ush

stro

kes

tend

to

le

ave

plaq

uebe

hind

.

Fini

sh

by

brus

hing

th

ebi

ting

surf

aces

of

teet

h.

STE

P F

OU

RAf

ter br

ushi

ng, r

un y

our to

ngue

ove

r th

e su

rfac

es o

fyo

ur tee

th a

gain

. If t

here

are

any

are

as tha

t st

ill fe

elro

ugh

or f

urry

, co

ntin

ue t

o br

ush

thes

e ar

eas

until

they

are

sm

ooth

.

Tart

ar b

uild

-up

– O

ver

tim

e s

ome

pla

que

may

have

be

com

e ha

rd,

and

form

ed

tart

ar(a

lso

calle

d ca

lcul

us).

Bru

shin

g ca

nnot

rem

ove

this

ha

rdde

posi

t –

your

den

tist

or

hygi

enis

t w

illre

mov

e th

is f

or y

ou.

By

brus

hing

you

r te

eth

effe

ctiv

ely,

the

bui

ld-u

p of

tart

ar c

an b

e m

inim

ised

.

Do

not

rush

Effe

ctiv

e br

ushi

ng w

ill p

roba

bly

take

long

er th

an y

ouar

e us

ed t

o. P

rope

r br

ushi

ng t

akes

at

leas

t tw

om

inut

es –

mos

t pe

ople

bru

sh f

or a

muc

h sh

orte

rtim

e. I

t m

ay h

elp

you

to t

ime

your

self

to g

et a

fee

lfo

r th

e tim

e ne

eded

.

Cro

wdi

ng o

r ga

ps b

etw

een

teet

hYo

u m

ay

have

to

al

ter

the

tech

niqu

e de

scrib

edab

ove

to a

llow

for

:•

part

ial d

entu

res

or b

ridge

s in

you

r m

outh

•th

e sh

ape

of y

our

mou

th.

Your

den

tist

will

poi

nt p

robl

em a

reas

out

to

you

and

advi

se y

ou o

n ne

cess

ary

mod

ifica

tions

.

STE

P T

WO

Use

a t

ooth

brus

h w

ith a

sm

all

head

and

soft

bris

tles.

Ang

le t

he b

rush

so

that

the

bris

tles

are

aim

ed a

t th

e gu

m li

ne a

s sh

own.

Use

a s

mal

l am

ount

of p

ress

ure

to li

ghtly

pus

hth

e br

ush

agai

nst

the

gum

s.

Do

not

use

too

muc

hfo

rce

– th

is

may

w

ear

away

the

too

th s

urfa

ces

and

caus

e da

mag

e to

the

gum

s.

STE

P T

HR

EE

Use

FLU

OR

IDAT

ED t

ooth

past

e an

d a

soft

bru

sh

Use

sho

rt,

gent

le s

trok

es

Pay

extr

a at

tent

ion

to:

•th

e pa

rt o

f th

e to

oth

next

to

the

gum

line

•ha

rd-to

-reac

h ba

ck t

eeth

•ar

eas

arou

nd f

illin

gs,

crow

ns,

brid

ges

or p

artia

lde

ntur

es

Thor

ough

ly c

lean

eac

h se

ctio

n as

fol

low

s:

•cl

ean

the

oute

r/ch

eek-

side

su

rfac

es

of

your

uppe

r te

eth

•cl

ean

the

inne

r/to

ngue

-sid

e su

rfac

es of

yo

urup

per

teet

h

•cl

ean

the

chew

ing

surf

aces

•th

en r

epea

t fo

r yo

ur lo

wer

tee

th

Don

’t r

ush

An

elec

tric

to

othb

rush

ca

n do

a

bett

er

job

ofcl

eani

ng

teet

h fo

r pe

ople

w

ith

limite

d m

anua

lde

xter

ity

Ther

e is

no

diff

eren

ce in

the

res

ult

mos

t of

us

can

get

with

a m

anua

l or

an e

lect

ric t

ooth

brus

h.

Pla

que

is t

he s

oft

stic

ky fi

lm c

onta

inin

gm

illio

ns o

f bac

teria

tha

t fo

rms

on t

hete

eth

cont

inua

lly. C

ontr

ol o

f pla

que

ises

sent

ial t

o pr

even

t gu

m d

isea

se a

ndot

her

oral

pro

blem

s.

√ √ √ √√ √√

Effective Toothbrushing 16/6/06 10:03 AM Page 2