ORAL HYGIENE BY DR.MANISHA MISHRA

Oral Hygiene Is the practice of keeping the mouth clean and healthy by brushing and flossing to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Parameters to judge oral hygiene Gingival inflammation Gingival pockets Plaques Calculus Stains Food debris

OH is Achieved by Mechanical cleansing Chemical cleansing Change of diet Brushing Dental floss Gum massage Dental wood sticks

Brushing Requirements of a toothbrush Size: head not too big Children 1.5 cm Adult 2.5 cm Bristles should be of even length Not concave not convex Texture Soft: doesn’t clean effectively Medium: good Hard : causes abrasion; good for stain removal

Toothpaste Advantage of using toothpaste : Detergent action helps in removal of dental plaque Fluorides reduce decay by increasing the strength of teeth Refreshing: Increases the compliance

Satisfactory brushing Should clean all the tooth surfaces including gingiva and interdental areas Should not injure the gingiva Should be simple to follow Well organized pattern

Brushing technique Roll Technique Bass Technique Combined Technique Proper brushing is essential for cleaning teeth and gums effectively. Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not scratch and irritate teeth or damage gums.

Roll technique The side of the brush is placed against the side of the teeth and gingiva The back of the brush at the level of the occlusal surface The bristles being parallel to the long axis of the teeth The brush is then rotated upwards in case of lower jaw and downward in case of upper jaw Side of the brush sweeps the surface of the teeth, gums and interdental area Strokes are given on all segments Occlusal surface cleaned with rotatory movement Lingual and palatal surface cleaned vertically with width of the brush

Bass technique Aka crevicular technique Used to clean gingival cervices Brush is held 45 degrees to the long axis of the tooth with bristles pointing to the gingival crevices Brush is then moved backwards and forwards with vibratory or circular movements

Frequency At least twice daily Before breakfast and after dinner If there is food impaction problems then after every meal Better to brush after eating sweet sticky food Electric tooth brush can be used for physically or mentally handicapped people

Interdental cleaning Dental floss Interdental area is cleaned well Used in combination with brushing Interspace brush Dental woodsticks

Chemical cleaning Mouth rinse (Chlorhexidine 0.2%) Reduces plaque, bacterial load 20ml of mouthwash after brushing Eucalyptol Methyl salicylate Menthol Hydrogen peroxide Warm saline (cheap and effective)

Scaling Removal of calcareous deposits from the teeth using suitable instruments Types Hand scaler Ultrasonic scaler Removes plaque, calculi, debris, stains, periodontal pockets Polishing needs to be done after scaling