How Often to Change Tooth Brushes
Dental experts are constantly renovating the design of the humble toothbrush--after all, the mouth is one of the most important gateways to the human body. Keeping up with maintenance, such as dental appointments, daily flossing and changing toothbrushes when they become too worn to function correctly, is vital to health and beauty.
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Significance
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The main aim of proper tooth brushing is to arrest the growth of plaque (a thin, adhesive layer of bacteria that constantly forms in the mouth.) When plaque hardens on the teeth, it's called tartar (or calculus), which releases irritating compounds that inflame the gums. When irritated to a significant extent, the patient experiences gum disease: the gums pull away from the teeth and the gap they leave behind develops an infection. Untreated, the teeth will loosen and fall out. At that point, the patient needs either dentures, bridges or implants.
Identification
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The technical term for gum disease is "gingivitis." Gingivitis is easily identified--the gums will be red and swollen and will bleed when touched (especially with floss and toothbrushes, which are designed to clean inside the gaps.) The bleeding is, of course, alarming; many gingivitis sufferers reduce their frequency and thoroughness of tooth brushing and flossing when they see the blood. Instead, it's important to fight the root cause of gingivitis (plaque) with regular, thorough brushing and flossing.
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Prevention/Solution
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In order to insure that your toothbrush is in proper working order, it's important to change it out once every three months. (If you use an electric toothbrush, use the guidelines in the manual to identify when you should change the brush; there are some brands with a much longer usable life.) If you are a gum disease sufferer, however, it's best to change your toothbrush more often. Because bacteria easily can grow in the bristles under standard bathroom conditions, you should change the brush every four to six weeks in order to avoid exacerbating the condition.
Considerations
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With a consistent routine and healthy habits, it's not difficult to maintain a clean, healthy, beautiful mouth. Regular (twice yearly) dental checkups, which always include a professional cleaning, are a very important method of disease prevention. Though most Americans own a toothbrush and use it with some regularity, most don't clean with floss as recommended, and a significant number brush incorrectly. An important part of correct brushing is using properly functioning equipment--a toothbrush that is new enough to effectively do its job.
Identification
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Your best resource for toothbrush recommendation is your dentist or dental hygienist. Aside from a professional recommendation, adults are advised to choose a small- to medium-sized brush with soft, rounded bristles. (Soft bristles do the job just as well as hard, but with less irritation and gum-loosening potential.) It's important that the brush be small enough to navigate the nooks and crannies of the mouth fully, in order to brush away tartar-causing bacteria from all surfaces, including the hard-to-reach areas such as the backs of the teeth.
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