Prevention (prophylaxis)
The most effective way to protect yourself against the development of gingivitis starts at home. Gingivitis cannot be prevented without regular and adequate oral hygiene. However, the use of a toothbrush alone is not sufficient in most cases to completely remove all germs and plaque deposits within the oral cavity.
Particularly in patients who suffer from pronounced tooth misalignment or very narrow spaces between the teeth, there are places that are difficult to access. These areas can hardly or not at all be reached by the bristles of a toothbrush. For this reason, dentists recommend using an interdental brush (synonym: interdental space brush) or flossing at least once a day.
Although this makes oral hygiene a little more complicated, it seems to be the most successful method of preventing gingivitis. Since experience shows that the thoroughness of interdental brushing (and also flossing) decreases after a few minutes, it is recommended to start in a different quadrant every day.Thus, it can be assumed that each quadrant can be completely captured at least every four days. In some studies, it has been shown that this greatly reduces the risk of developing gingivitis.
In addition, the use of special antibacterial mouth rinsing solutions helps to reduce the number of bacteria living in the oral cavity and thus plaque formation. To check the thoroughness of the tooth cleaning and to make any remaining deposits visible, tooth staining tablets can be applied at regular intervals. Various household remedies can also have a preventive effect when used regularly.
In addition, a dental check-up appointment should be made about every six months. The participation in special prophylaxis programs is also highly recommended. These programs include a presentation at the dentist’s office, which should take place at intervals of 3 to 6 months, depending on the needs.
During the individual appointments the teeth are covered with a special staining solution and plaque deposits are made visible. The ingredients of this staining solution react with different components of the plaque deposits and thus take on a specific coloration. These solutions are not only able to make plaque visible to the eye, but can also distinguish between old and new plaque.
Most of the preparations used in dental practice use a bluish dye to show older deposits (older than 48 hours) and a red dye to make new plaque visible. Subsequently, the dentist or the trained prophylaxis assistant (ZMF) tries to optimize the patient’s oral hygiene with brushing instructions. A professional tooth cleaning with removal of loose (plaque) and solid (tartar) deposits concludes such a prophylaxis session.
