Care for your "Teeth"

Care for you "TEETH"

Your teeth are one of your most winning features. Here are a few suggestions on how to keep them that way.

Teeth are not only functional; they are an important part of your appearance. While the basic function of teeth is to break down food so it's ready for digestion, there's no
denying clean teeth and fresh breath can make a good impression.
It doesn't take much to keep your teeth clean and healthy, but it does take more than a quick swish of a brush. If you think you don't have time to floss every day, or see your
dentist once or twice a year, you can pretty much expect not only an unwelcome amount of decay, but that your teeth and gums will age much faster than you may like.

Don't forget to floss

You know you should floss, but is it really that important? Well, yes.
"Brushing your teeth only gets rid of the food and plaque on your teeth, not between your teeth, which is the job of floss," says
Dr Derek Lewis from the Australian Dental Association. "When this plaque builds up, it's hard to see as it's wedged between the teeth so you often don't know it's there until it's caused major damage."
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms continually on teeth and gums. When you eat something, the bacteria use the sugars from food and drinks to multiply. After you eat, the bacteria release an acid that attacks tooth enamel. If you don't get rid of the plaque with brushing and flossing, this can cause the enamel to weaken, eventually causing tooth decay.
Plaque also produces substances that irritate the gums, making them red, tender or bleed easily. After a while, gums may pull away from the teeth and start making little pockets of bacteria and pus. If the gums are not treated, teeth may become loose or have to be removed. The gums can also start to recede, which is a very obvious sign of ageing.
Dr Lewis says the best way to prevent tooth decay and gum disease is by:

• Eating a healthy diet that is low in sugar
• Keeping acidic food and drinks, such as soft drinks, juice and sports drinks, to a minimum
• Drinking lots of fluoridated water
• Brushing your teeth twice a day, making sure you use a soft-bristled brush and a toothpaste containing fluoride.
• Cleaning between the teeth once a day with floss or interdental cleaners (a small brush used for cleaning between teeth).
• Getting regular check-ups every 6-12 months.

"Seeing a dentist regularly is important, particularly as there are new materials available that can repair a tooth with decay without doing a filling," Dr Lewis says.
"There are now creams and applications available that can remineralise the tooth if the decay is caught soon enough, preventing the need for fillings".
Also available are dental sealants, which are a plastic coating that can be applied to the chewing surfaces of the back molars where decay often starts. This sealant protects your teeth. "It's an effective plaque prevention technique," Dr Lewis says.

Sensitivity

Teeth sensitivity to hot, cold and sweet foods is a common problem with people over the age of 40. Dr Ben Wilcox sheds light on this irritating condition.
"Teeth sensitivity is a short electric shock like pain that originates where the gum meets the tooth," Dr Wilcox says."Hot, cold and sweet foods cause fluid movement in the tubules [nerve channels] exposed on the gum margin of the tooth that have a connection with the tooth nerve.
"This is more pronounced as we get older because our gums have a tendency to recede.
"To treat teeth sensitivity, chemical and physical barriers are used to block the tubules and stop the connection to the nerve being made."

Kids teeth

If you are getting frustrated by nagging your kids every morning and night to brush their teeth properly, take heart: in the long run it will be worth it. A child's primary teeth, sometimes called "baby teeth", are just as important as permanent adult teeth, and the health of their pearly whites now will affect their appearance in the future.
Primary teeth typically begin to appear about six months of age. These teeth not only help children chew their food but to speak. They also hold space in the jaws for the permanent teeth growing under the gums.
As soon as teeth appear in the mouth, they can begin to decay - so it is important you brush them gently with a child's-size toothbrush and water, or rub them with a face cloth straight away.
From 18 months, children can start to use half a pea-sized amount of children's fluoride toothpaste under parental supervision. From the age of five, they can use a smear of adult toothpaste.
Dr Kareen Mekertichian, vice-president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Dentistry, says the most worrying trend in modern dentistry is the poor dental health in preschoolers.
This is why the experts recommend parents visit a dentist close to an infant's first birthday so they can discuss the proper way to look after their child's teeth, examine for any dental abnormalities that may cause problems in the future, and discuss potential risks.
Dr Mekertichian says a child can be well looked after by a family dentist; a paediatric dentist is unnecessary in low-risk cases.
As with adults, the way to keep kids' teeth healthy is to have a healthy diet, drink lots of fluoridated water, floss regularly and brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
But, like everything, moderation is crucial when it comes to toothpaste. "Fluoride works best when applied topically," Dr Mekertichian says. "Kids can ingest too much fluoride if they eat toothpaste, causing a condition known as fluorosis which is why it's important to spit out toothpaste."
In its mildest form, fluorosis appears as tiny white streaks or specks on the teeth. In its severest - a condition also called mottling of dental enamel - it is characterised by black and brown stains, as well as cracking and pitting of the teeth.

How do I brush my teeth?

•  Place your brush at a 45-degree angle against the gums and brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.
• Brush the outer, inner and chewing surfaces of the teeth.
• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
• Proper brushing should take at least two minutes.
• Replace your brush about every three months, and after you have been sick to prevent reinfection.