1. Question: Why do I brush my teeth so thoroughly, many times a day, but my teeth still have cavities?
Answer: Usually, tooth decay is caused by:
Brushing is not clean: there is a lot of bacterial plaque around the neck of the tooth. Bacteria are more numerous when the food is high in starch and sugar. Bacteria ferment carbohydrates during their nutrition to produce acids. Acid dissolves mineral salts of tooth enamel, causing holes in the teeth for a long time.
Defects of enamel: there are two main types
- Enamel is easily soluble in acid due to the composition depending on the mineral salt composition of the enamel surface.
- The enamel surface has many deep grooves, easy to deposit food but difficult to clean. Food is a source of nutrients for bacteria, producing acids that cause tooth decay in the grooves.
Therefore, brushing alone is not enough to keep teeth from decaying.
2. Q: So what should I do to prevent tooth decay effectively?
Answer: Currently, 5 measures are recommended to help maintain good teeth:
- Brush teeth thoroughly, at least once a day before going to bed.
- Use products containing fluoride to help enamel less soluble in acid.
- During the time when the teeth have just erupted, the child should be taken to the dental clinic or treatment room of the school dental program and if indicated, the chewing surface of the newly erupting molars will be filled with sealant.
- Control sugar in food and how to eat sugar by giving children tea or sweets right after 2 main meals, then clean teeth. Snacks should give children fresh fruit.
- Periodic dental examination every 6 months for young people. Older adults or people with many tooth decay problems, gingivitis or periodontitis should visit their dentist 3 or 4 times a year.
3. Question: So how many times a day is enough to brush your teeth?
Answer: According to recent studies in the dental industry, if you only need to brush your teeth thoroughly once before going to sleep, the dental condition is not different from people who brush their teeth 2-3 or 4 times. But in reality, it is difficult for anyone to brush their teeth perfectly according to the ideal, moreover, we still have relationships in society, communicate with friends, at work...
Therefore:
- Brush your teeth when you wake up in the morning to avoid bad odors caused by bacteria fermenting during sleep.
- Brush your teeth after each meal to avoid food odors and remove food debris.
- In addition, brushing is also an opportunity for the fluoride in the toothpaste to reduce tooth decay. According to S. Moss in 1998, brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, saliva and fluoride protect teeth safe for snack eaters.