“You need to take care of your teeth from early childhood, in this case children grow up healthy, cheerful, beautiful and get more chances in life.”
George Eastman
Very often, such an ordinary action as brushing your teeth raises many different questions and disagreements. If you do not properly care for your teeth, then by looking at their parents and imitating them, children learn to brush their teeth incorrectly. It will be quite difficult to relearn.
This article won't do away with dirty teeth and tooth decay all at once, but if I can answer some questions about oral hygiene and dispel some of the most common myths about brushing your teeth, the task will be considered accomplished.
The very first, biggest and most terrible myth: “You don’t need to brush your baby teeth!”
It is necessary, and how it is necessary!!! Firstly, baby teeth are not immune from caries, but the best remedy Its prevention is ideal individual oral hygiene, that is, good and proper brushing of teeth. And secondly, without teaching and accustoming a child to brush his teeth from the cradle, it will be much more difficult to do this later. By adulthood, a child should perceive brushing his teeth as naturally as eating. And remember that a child imitates his parents in everything, so you should become an example for the child even in such difficult work as brushing your teeth.
You should start caring for your teeth as soon as the subject of your care appears. It is recommended to clean the first teeth that have erupted with a silicone brush, which is placed on an adult’s finger. And from 8-10 months you can already use the smallest baby toothbrush. Special brushes with a thick handle have been developed for children (to make it easier to hold in the fist), they are bright, and encourage the child to also play, because it is in play that friendship is born! There are brushes with a rattle in the handle, which rattles only if you brush your teeth correctly.
Myth 2: “It doesn’t matter how you brush your teeth, the main thing is to brush”
You need to brush your teeth correctly. You can spend 5 minutes brushing your teeth and they will still be dirty. Why does this happen? Because food debris sticks very firmly to the teeth, and in order to get rid of them, you need to make some effort. You need to brush your teeth as if you were sweeping them. You clean your upper teeth with sweeping movements from top to bottom (so that dirt does not get stuck under the gum, but is swept out), and the lower teeth from bottom to top. You must not forget about the inner surface of the teeth, which is more difficult to clean than the outer surface. At the end of brushing, you need to clean the chewing surface of all teeth. And definitely needs to be cleaned side surfaces teeth, there are special dental flosses for these purposes.
Myth 3: “Any toothpaste suitable for a child."
Firstly, there are many adult medicinal (with a high fluoride content, whitening, for the treatment of periodontitis, etc.) pastes that are absolutely not suitable for children, secondly, children's pastes are less abrasive and they contain less fluorine, therefore, the child needs his own children's toothpaste. They are specially designed for breastfeeding and newly pregnant women. permanent teeth, the enamel of which has not yet fully “ripened”. And it is made with the expectation that the child swallows part of the paste. In this regard, children are recommended to use low-grade children's toothpastes, first gel, and then regular children's toothpastes.
Myth 4: “A child will brush his teeth even if his parents don’t.”
If before the birth of your child you brushed your teeth yourself as and when necessary, then you should definitely learn how to brush your teeth correctly together with your child. Brushing your teeth should become a real ceremony, akin to a “traditional family dinner,” which cannot be skipped or changed, you can only add participants. After all, children imitate their parents in everything, so be good example for your baby: brush your teeth with him at least 2 times a day - after breakfast and before bed. And according to the golden rule, you need to brush your teeth after every meal.
Myth 5: “You can completely trust your child to brush your teeth”
The little person must move the brush over his teeth himself, but then the caring hands of the parents must complete everything that the child cannot yet do on his own. Little by little, children learn to perform all the movements correctly, and this process cannot be rushed, so as not to make it difficult for the child, and so as not to instill a dislike for brushing teeth. Before 7 years of age, dentists recommend active parental participation in brushing teeth, and after 7 years of age, passive participation. Even for teenagers, I would strongly recommend keeping an eye on when and how they brush their teeth.
Myth 6: “Children’s toothbrushes should be made of natural bristles.”
Accumulates in natural bristles a large number of microorganisms that cannot be removed by simply rinsing the brush under running water. In addition, it is impossible to treat the bristles so that they do not injure the gums (artificial bristles have a rounded shape). With the development of modern technology, the use of natural bristle brushes is a thing of the past. Now dentists recommend that both adults and children use toothbrushes with artificial bristles.
Myth 7: “The larger the brush, the better it will clean your teeth.”
3A large brush cannot fit everywhere, not to mention that it is difficult to even move it. A small brush can reach all surfaces of all teeth. Adults are also recommended brushes with small heads that correspond to the size of 1.5-2 teeth.
Myth 8: “Children can brush their teeth with electric brushes”
Do not forget that the enamel of children’s teeth is not yet hard enough and the harsh impact of an electric brush can damage the immature tooth enamel. If you buy your child an electric brush, then the child’s joy will know no bounds. If brushing teeth is not taken for granted by a child, then an electric toothbrush will not be able to correct the situation. The joy will pass, the new electric brush will be next to the ordinary one, and the two of them will be bored. This is the first. Secondly, you can teach how to brush your teeth with a regular brush only in childhood, then it will be useless. For some reason, we teach our children to draw with a pencil, although we can immediately teach them to draw and type on a computer. Third, brushing teeth with an ordinary brush develops a child’s manual skills, and as you know, a child’s mind is at his fingertips. Thus, brushing your teeth with an ordinary brush will be an additional gymnastics for the mind. There are special attachments for electric toothbrushes for children, but children should not use them to brush their teeth until they are 8-12 years old.
Never!!! Chewing gum is an additional means of oral hygiene. It can be used if there is absolutely no way to brush your teeth. You can chew it only after eating (but not instead of...) for 5-10 minutes. With longer chewing, all the beneficial effects chewing gum end and harmful ones begin. But this is a topic for a separate article.
Myth 10: “Fluoride rinses are a substitute for brushing your teeth.”
Teeth brushing is mostly a mechanical removal of plaque and food debris. This is why nothing can replace a toothbrush and, accordingly, brushing your teeth. Mouthwashes are only additional oral hygiene products that are used after brushing your teeth. Children under 6-7 years old should not use mouthwashes because they contain high content fluorine, and they taste quite pleasant, therefore, it will not be possible to avoid the intake of excess fluoride into the child’s body. Excess fluoride is harmful not only to the teeth, but most importantly, to the child’s bones. Thus, the child’s use of personal hygiene products, including toothpastes containing fluoride, should be discussed with the pediatric dentist and always monitored very carefully.
Myth 11: “Brushes should be doused with boiling water before first use.”
Myth 12: “There must be a lot of pasta”
It must be remembered that it is not the toothpaste that cleans the teeth, but the brush. Due to antimicrobial, deodorizing and other additives, the paste helps to clean, refresh the oral cavity, and make brushing your teeth more enjoyable. If you take a lot of paste, it will foam a lot and interfere with whether we brush our teeth correctly. Yes and active substances contained in the paste will be too much. The required volume of toothpaste should not exceed the size of a large pea, and for children - a small one.
1. We start brushing our teeth as soon as they appear. First, we use a silicone brush that fits on an adult’s finger, and from 10 months we buy a special children’s toothbrush.
2. We brush our teeth after every meal, always in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before bed.
3. We brush our teeth together with our baby, so you can control him and show him that you yourself are doing the right thing.
4. Don’t forget to change the brush at least once every 3 months. There should be a new brush for every season.
Beautiful and happy children's smiles to you!
A campaign to launch a new startup has begun on Kickstarter Amabrush. Another promising development is devoted to the issue of hygiene, or more precisely, hygiene oral cavity. Amabrush is completely automatic toothbrush, which can clean all the teeth in your mouth in just 10 seconds! Structurally, Amabrush is a flexible dental tray with many traditional bristles, the development of which took more than three years. To start the teeth cleaning process, you need to press a button, after which the device begins to vibrate.
The body of the flexible mouthguard is dotted with numerous microchannels through which toothpaste is delivered to the teeth. The product is made of antibacterial silicone that kills 99.99% of all bacteria. The body is filled with three-dimensional bristles to simultaneously clean teeth from all sides, bottom and upper jaw. The material is soft enough to prevent damage to your gums, but tough enough to thoroughly cleanse your teeth of dirt and germs. To clean the innovative Amabrush toothbrush after use, simply rinse it like a regular toothbrush.
10 seconds of brushing with Amabrush is enough to produce results that are superior to longer brushing with a traditional toothbrush. Even if you brush your teeth for the recommended 120 seconds with a regular manual or electric toothbrush, each tooth is ideally exposed to only 1.25 seconds (assuming each tooth has three surfaces and there are 32 of them in your mouth). Accordingly, Amabrash increases cleaning of all surfaces by 8 times, but at the same time reduces the duration hygiene procedure 12 times.
The built-in mechanism foams the toothpaste and delivers the optimal amount to the teeth. The capacity of the built-in battery is enough for 28 cleaning sessions. So if you go on holiday without a charging station, you can brush your teeth with Amabrush for at least two weeks, twice a day.
Toothpaste capsules simply fit into the Amabrush's push-button tip. The product measures the ideal amount of toothpaste for one brushing session every time. The capacity of one capsule is enough for more than a month and it costs $3. Three toothpaste options are available: extra-fresh, whitening and fluoride-free for sensitive teeth. Amabrush requires a special toothpaste to work, as it is thinner than regular toothpaste for optimal passage through the microchannels. The Amabrush bristle tray itself costs just $6 and needs to be replaced every 3 to 6 months.
More details about the startup on Kickstarter.
Video | Amabrush: perfect teeth cleaning in just 10 seconds
The first toothbrushes appeared a long time ago. Ancient people took plant twigs, separated them into fibers, and used this device to clean their teeth. Since those times, there has been a colossal evolution of dental hygiene devices, and such a brush became the prototype of modern ones.
Which toothbrush is the best? There is no definite answer to this question, because all people are different, each with their own characteristics and problems of the oral cavity. But knowing the basic types and principles that a brush must comply with, it’s easy to choose the right one.
Types of toothbrushes:
- Standard toothbrush– a classic device for oral hygiene, which consists of a handle and a head with bristles attached to it. They are different sizes, for adults and children. The main selection criterion is the stiffness of the pile. If there are no problems with your teeth and gums, choose medium-hard bristles - they clean your teeth well, without injuring them, but also without leaving behind plaque.
- Electric toothbrush– such a battery-powered device has firmly settled on the bathroom shelves of those who love comfort and high-quality teeth cleaning. The main difference between such a device and a classic brush is the reduced size of the working part, usually round in shape. In this case, the head makes not only reciprocating movements, but also circular and vibrating ones. This allows you to remove contamination from all corners of the oral cavity.
- Ionic toothbrush– outwardly, such a device resembles a regular brush, however, the ionization function is activated using batteries. These can be small batteries or even batteries powered by the sun. The operating principle is based on a titanium dioxide rod located inside the brush. He has negative charge, and when it comes into contact with hydrogen cations, microbial plaque is attracted and the acidic effect of bacteria is inactivated.
- Ultrasonic toothbrush– refers to a type of electric brush. During operation, this hygiene product generates ultrasound, which helps eliminate not only soft deposits, but also prevents the formation of tartar. In addition, an ultrasonic brush is a good prevention of periodontal diseases due to its healing effect on the gums.
Which toothbrush should you choose?
To choose the best toothbrush for daily use, you need to pay attention to some nuances:
- The material of the bristles is important. There are brushes with natural and artificial bristles. According to dentists, natural brushes, due to the accumulation of water in the bristles, are a breeding ground for bacteria, so choose products with artificial bristles.
- The head size of a brush that is suitable for an adult is 25-30 mm. A working part that is too small does not clean the surface well enough, and the bulky dimensions do not allow for a good treatment. side sections and the zone of chewing teeth.
- The handle of a good toothbrush should be comfortable. A handle that is too thin, flexible or bulky will lead to rapid fatigue of the muscles of the hand and fingers.
- Study the labels on the packaging. Look at the indication of the degree of rigidity based on the dentist’s recommendations, choose the one that is right for you. With absence serious problems in the oral cavity, purchase a brush with medium-hard bristles.
- The end of each bristle should be rounded so as not to damage tooth enamel or injure soft tissues.
The best toothbrush according to dentists
The best toothbrush, according to dentists, is the one that you use regularly and remember to change promptly. Doctors do not have a specific favorite among individual dental devices. It doesn't matter what brand is on the handle. The main thing is that the toothbrush meets the requirements listed above and is suitable for your specific case.
A product can be very expensive, have a great name, a famous manufacturer, and be good in all respects. But if a person suffering from loose teeth and increased bleeding of the gums chooses a toothbrush that is designed for an absolutely healthy oral cavity, then it cannot be called the best for this particular patient, even if it occupies a leading position in the rating.
Rating of the best toothbrushes
Dental health starts with the right choice a good toothbrush.
There are a large number of different companies, both well-known and new, represented on the dental market. The rating of the best toothbrushes is:
- Splat Ionic Brush– the device is activated when wet fingers touch the handle. The brush changes the polarity of the teeth and attracts negatively charged particles of bacterial plaque to the bristles.
- Pro Gold Edition by R.O.C.S– a manual brush that is not only stylish appearance, but also with unique bristles, which have smooth tips thanks to the triple polishing system.
- Colgate toothbrush– a well-known company has released a product whose bristles are impregnated with pine phytoncides, which improves gum health and influences pathogenic microflora.
- Lacalut White– has unique Tynex bristles, which gently and without damaging the enamel removes pigmented plaque. On the sides of the head there are microtwister bristles that gently brighten the surface of the teeth.
Toothbrush for those who wear braces
What toothbrush is needed for a patient whose teeth have a braces system installed in order to better clean the surface of the enamel and the clasps attached to it? At first glance, it may seem that a regular hygiene product will do.
In fact, the orthodontic design makes it very difficult to brush your teeth, and it also serves as a place for food debris and soft plaque to accumulate. With regular, poor-quality cleansing, gradual demineralization of the enamel occurs. After removing braces, a person can expect an unpleasant surprise - all the front surfaces of the teeth are painted with white chalky stains.
For complete cleansing when straightening teeth, you will need:
- mono-beam brush;
- V-shaped brush;
- special brushes for cleaning braces.
A brush with a recess has a special arrangement of bristles on the head. When viewing it from the end, you will notice that in the central part the fibers are shorter and seem to be beveled in the shape of the letter “V”, hence the name of this product. This design helps to simultaneously clean both teeth and installed braces.
A mono-tuft brush is a product with a long handle, on the working part of which there is only one bristly tuft. In this case, the head is located perpendicular to the body. The brush allows you to clean the areas between the clasps, and also easily penetrates under the orthodontic arch and ligatures.
It is most convenient to use brushes to clean the space under the metal arc. Such devices are not sold in every pharmacy, so it is better to purchase them in a specialized store.
How to properly care for your toothbrush
Not only the quality of the toothbrush plays a big role, but also how its owner cares for it.
Rules for using and caring for a toothbrush:
- A toothbrush is an individual hygiene product. This means that the product should only be used by one person to prevent it from spreading infection.
- Follow storage rules. After use, rinse the brush thoroughly with water and place it vertically, head up, in a glass. According to the rules, each family member should have their own to avoid any overlap of microflora.
- Do not store the brush in a closed case, because it must be dry so that bacteria do not multiply. The device cannot dry completely in the case.
- Change the hygiene product as it wears out, but at least once every three months. This rule also applies to removable heads for electric brushes.
- If the villi are deformed, do not use the product - this can scratch the enamel and mucous membrane.
- Wash the brush with soap to remove any remaining toothpaste and plaque.
When choosing individual funds To care for your teeth and gums, it is better to consult a dentist. Based individual characteristics he will recommend suitable hygiene products. Knowing which toothbrush is best to brush your teeth is necessary for every person who closely monitors the health of not only the oral cavity, but also the entire body.
Useful video about toothbrushes
I was looking for a new brush. And I noticed that there are new generation toothbrushes - these are ultra thin brushes. And I chose an ultra thin toothbrush from Oral-B Green tea. I liked the color and the very fine bristles.
It is also made of transparent plastic. AND green color, both the plastic and the bristles - everything impressed me. And I decided to take this particular brush. The manufacturer's line also includes Black tea. But I was afraid of such a black one and decided to try Green tea first.
This is what the brush looks like from different angles.
From the first minute I realized that this brush exceeded all my expectations. I realized this by simply conducting a dry, clean, new brush and without any remedies for the teeth. Words can't describe it, but it actually cleans the interdental spaces.
The brush is gentle. There is no discomfort for the gums. Everything is very delicate.
After a month of use, the color of the bristles began to change, which upset me a little. It was probably the green tea extract that began to wash out.
I really like the material of the brush itself. Very high quality plastic, durable, odorless and it rings in your hands.
Most of us use regular manual or, as they are also called, manual toothbrushes. But oral care product manufacturers offer several alternatives, including an ionic toothbrush. And while many people have already heard about electric and even ultrasonic devices, the ionic brush is not so popular yet. What is it, what is the principle of its operation and is it really effective? new technology, you will learn from the article.
Ionic brush: working principle
Externally, the ionic brush resembles a traditional manual brush with some design differences:
- inside the brush head, near the bristles, there is a titanium rod, which, in the presence of a power source (battery or solar battery) produces ions with a negative charge;
- on the brush handle in the area where your brush is usually located during the brushing process. thumb, a metal plate is located, the release of ions will occur if it is moistened;
- At the end of the handle there is a light bulb - this is an indicator of the battery charge; if it lights up, it means that ions are being released.
The principle of operation of the hygienic device is as follows: negatively charged ions enter saliva during brushing and promote better effective removal dental plaque.
Ionic brush handle.
According to the manufacturers of ionic brushes, this effect is achieved due to the fact that the ionic brush changes the charge of the enamel. Tooth enamel a person has a negative charge, and the bacterial plaque that forms on it has a positive charge. Since opposite charges tend to attract each other, plaque adheres to the surface of the enamel and is firmly held on it. When brushing your teeth with an ionic brush, the charge of the enamel becomes positive, and plaque plaques are repelled from it, as their charge becomes the same. The negatively charged bristles of a toothbrush attract positively charged plaque. This ensures better cleaning of teeth and removal of bacterial deposits even from hard-to-reach places - dental spaces, surfaces of distant molars.
We owe the appearance of ionic toothbrushes on the market to Japanese specialists; it was in Japan that this technology was invented.
Is ion technology effective?
The principle of operation of the brush has been criticized by dentists.
Both consumers and dentists were skeptical about ionic technology. The principle of operation based on changing the polarity of teeth was perceived by many with irony. There is no reliable evidence that plaque is attracted to the enamel by creating an electrostatic or electromagnetic connection between them. It is known that the attachment of dental plaque to the enamel occurs thanks to enzymes that are produced by soft plaque bacteria. Simply by bringing the bristles, which release ions, to the enamel, plaque will not begin to come off and be attracted to the brush. Its removal is possible only through mechanical action - cleaning.
Reviews from dentists regarding the ionic toothbrush have different character. But the main message is this: it’s not how fancy your brush is, but how you use it. In order for all bacterial plaque to be removed during brushing, the bristles must make the correct “sweeping” motion from the gum line to the cutting edge of the tooth. Even negative ions really come from the bristles, they can only make the process of removing plaque easier, but the quality of cleaning depends on your efforts.
Manufacturers of ionic brushes claim that the process of brushing teeth normalizes acid balance occurs faster in the oral cavity. In addition, the ions released from the bristles contribute to faster penetration active ingredients toothpaste in tooth tissue. That is, the positive effect of brushing will be achieved faster than when using a regular brush, which is especially important for people who devote less than 3 minutes to the hygiene procedure, recommended by dentists.
Descriptions of ionic brushes compiled by product manufacturers indicate that brushing teeth produces the following effect:
- removes bacterial plaque;
- improves gum health;
- eliminates ;
- reduces enamel sensitivity;
- leads to normalization of the pH of the oral cavity.
However, to be fair, it should be said that all these effects can also be achieved by a regular brush if you use it in combination with a good toothpaste and clean using the correct technology.
The nozzle needs to be replaced with a new one every 3 months.
Features of using ionic brushes
You need to brush your teeth with an ionic brush in the same way as with a regular manual brush, with the exception of some points:
- before starting the procedure, the metal plate on the brush handle must be moistened with water, this will activate the process of ion production;
- during the hygiene procedure, it is recommended to hold a wet finger on the metal panel so that the process of ion production does not stop;
- moisten the bristles, squeeze a pea of paste onto it;
- brush your teeth for about 3 minutes, moving the brush from the gum to the edge of the tooth;
- then proceed to cleaning the chewing surface;
- rinse your mouth with water, rinse the bristles from any remaining toothpaste;
- Store the brush in a vertical position with the head up.
Important: according to manufacturers, “dry” cleaning without paste will also be effective. In principle, you can remove plaque with the dry bristles of a regular brush, without ionic technology. But the paste helps to mineralize the enamel, strengthen it and protect teeth from. In addition, after wetting the bristles and applying paste to it, cleaning occurs more softly, without damaging the enamel.
Similar to a manual brush, the bristles of an ionic brush wear out and become colonized with bacteria. To ensure effective and safe brushing, brush heads should be changed every 3 months.
