1. ORAL HYGIENE
BY DR.MANISHA MISHRA

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

11. 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

14. 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

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

17. 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)

18. 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