Dental care makes a major contribution to aesthetic and health well-being. As a preventive measure against dental complaints such as caries or periodontitis, dental care is an important daily ritual. What does perfect dental care look like? And what are the risks if dental care is omitted?
What is dental care?
Optimal oral hygiene consists of daily tooth brushing and regular check-ups with the dentist. Proper dental care includes regular flossing and mouthwash in addition to daily brushing. In addition, a healthy diet that is easy on the teeth, especially avoiding excessive consumption of sugar, is also important for keeping the teeth healthy. The goal of dental care is to protect the oral flora from harmful bacteria and germs, thus preventing ailments such as caries or periodontitis.
Function, effect and goals
Dental care begins in childhood, because awareness of how much dental health contributes to overall well-being should develop at a young age. Unpleasant problems such as tooth decay or gingivitis can be prevented in most cases by regular and proper dental care. If you brush and floss your teeth three times a day and after meals, you can prevent many otherwise threatening dental problems with this home routine. The purpose of dental hygiene is to rid the teeth and oral cavity of harmful bacteria and plaque. Every day, people ingest substances with their food that contaminate their teeth or get stuck in the interdental spaces. Thorough dental care is necessary to prevent remaining food residues from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. It ensures pleasant and good oral hygiene and thus fulfills not only a health but also an aesthetic purpose. However, since home dental care is often not sufficient to clean all areas of the mouth, it is recommended to have a professional dental cleaning (PZR) from time to time. Such a procedure is offered in all dental practices for prophylaxis. During professional teeth cleaning, the teeth are also cleaned where the toothbrush cannot reach. The spaces between the teeth and the gum pockets are cleaned thoroughly. In addition, all plaque and tartar caused by coffee, tea or nicotine are removed. The teeth are then polished and smoothed, which makes it more difficult for new plaque to adhere. Good home dental hygiene in conjunction with regular professional dental cleaning thus represents effective prophylaxis and dental care.
Typical products and agents
The typical products needed for home dental care are primarily toothbrush and toothpaste. They are designed to meet specific needs, depending on the requirements, and can be selected accordingly. For example, people with sensitive gums should use toothbrushes with soft bristles. Electric toothbrushes are useful because they clean more effectively than manual toothbrushes. In addition, dental floss for cleaning the interdental spaces should always be available and used regularly as a standard product for dental care at home. An antibacterial mouthwash is useful not only for good breath, but also for irritated gums. All of these remedies are used for daily dental care at home, and in the case of professional dental cleaning, additional measures are taken to make the teeth perfectly smooth. Basically, the smoother the teeth are, the fewer opportunities bacteria and plaque have to stick to the teeth. With good dental care and the right dental care products, this ideal state can be achieved.
Diseases, risks and dangers of neglected dental care.
Lack of dental care usually results in unpleasant dental problems. In this context, caries represents the most widespread form of dental disease. Gum problems such as periodontitis are also common and, like tooth decay, can lead to tooth loss. In both cases, germs are the cause. If they are given the opportunity to settle and multiply due to insufficient dental care, they eat away at the tooth in the form of caries.Or they settle in the spaces between the tooth and the gum, thus endangering the stability of the teeth – this is called periodontitis. Both caries and periodontitis can be stopped by dental treatment, but cannot be reversed. In many cases, this results in dental treatment and tooth replacement. To avoid this, it is accordingly important to pay thorough attention to regular dental care and thus keep the teeth healthy.
