Oral health is an important part of overall health. In 2007, the World Health Organization proposed that oral diseases are a serious public health problem and need to be actively prevented. Oral health includes: "No oral diseases and dysfunction such as chronic oral and maxillofacial pain, oropharyngeal cancer's disease, oral ulcer, congenital defects (such as cleft lip and palate), periodontal (gum) diseases, dental caries and tooth loss." Oral health directly or indirectly affects general health. Oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal diseases, will destroy the hard tissues and supporting tissues around teeth, which will not only affect the functions of chewing, speech and aesthetics, but also cause social difficulties and psychological obstacles.
Some microorganisms exist in the oral cavity for a long time, which can lead to or aggravate some systemic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, etc., which endanger the whole body health and affect the quality of life. The influence of systemic diseases on oral health can not be ignored, and some systemic diseases may have corresponding manifestations in the oral cavity.
For example, the anti-infection ability of diabetic patients decreases, which is often accompanied by periodontitis and tooth extraction wounds that are difficult to heal.
AIDS patients have early oral diseases, such as oral candidiasis, hairy leukoplakia, Kaposi's sarcoma and so on.
(2) Dental caries and periodontal disease are the two most common diseases that endanger the oral health of Chinese residents.
The national oral health epidemiological survey shows that dental caries and periodontal diseases (including gingivitis and periodontitis) are the two most common diseases that endanger the oral health of Chinese residents. Treatment is more complicated and costs more time and money. The change of color, shape and texture of hard tissue of tooth decay is gradually produced by some bacteria in the mouth using sugar in food to ferment and produce acid. There is generally no feeling of pain and discomfort in the early stage of dental caries, and doctors can only find black spots or white spots on the tooth surface when they check; Further development can form tooth cavities, which will cause pain and discomfort when stimulated by acid, sweetness, cold and heat. In severe cases, the pain caused by hot and cold stimulation is very obvious; If not treated in time, the teeth will eventually be damaged into residual roots and crowns, and even lead to tooth loss, causing serious chewing difficulties and affecting health. Periodontal disease is a variety of diseases that occur in supporting tissues around teeth (cementum, alveolar bone, gum and periodontal ligament). First of all, the gums are red and swollen, and it is easy to bleed when touched. If not treated in time, there will be gingival atrophy, alveolar bone absorption, periodontal pocket formation, tooth loosening and displacement, and sometimes periodontal abscess and bad breath, and finally teeth will fall off or be pulled out. Therefore, periodontal disease is the main cause of adult tooth loss. The above two major oral diseases are mainly caused by dental plaque. Therefore, removing dental plaque through self-care and professional oral care is the basis of maintaining oral health.
(3) Brush your teeth in the morning and evening and rinse your mouth after meals.
Brushing teeth can remove dental plaque, soft dirt and food residue, maintain oral hygiene and maintain the health of teeth and periodontal tissue. After brushing teeth to remove dental plaque for several hours, dental plaque can reattach and form continuously on the clean tooth surface, especially after falling asleep at night, saliva secretion is reduced, oral self-cleaning effect is poor, and bacteria are more likely to breed. So brush your teeth at least twice a day, and it is more important to brush your teeth before going to bed at night. Brushing your teeth and cleaning the back of your tongue with a tongue brush can obviously improve oral odor. Rinsing your mouth after meals can remove food residues in your mouth and keep your mouth clean.
Chewing sugar-free gum can also stimulate saliva secretion, reduce oral acidity, and contribute to fresh breath and clean teeth.
(4) Do one person to brush a cup.
In the same family, everyone's age, physical health and oral health are different, so they have different oral health needs. According to the individual's different situation, choose a toothbrush and toothpaste suitable for individual needs. If a family uses toothbrushes and mouthwash cups, it may cause the spread of diseases. Therefore, each person should have a toothbrush and a mug to avoid cross infection.
(5) Choose and use mouthwash correctly.
Rinsing with clear water can remove food residues from the mouth, but its cleaning power is weak and it is not enough to remove dental plaque. At present, some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory substances are added to some mouthwashes on the market, which is helpful to control dental plaque and maintain oral health. For example, fluoride mouthwash is a method to prevent dental caries by using fluoride locally, which is suitable for schools and families in low fluoride areas and suitable fluoride areas; Chlorhexidine gargle can kill bacteria in saliva and adsorbed on the surface of teeth, and is suitable for patients with periodontal disease. The mouthwash with essential oil as the main active ingredient has broad-spectrum bactericidal effect and is suitable for daily use. Other mouthwashes can gargle when suffering from stomatitis and cheilitis, which can prevent infection and promote wound healing.
(6) Advocate transverse vibration scrubbing.
Horizontal vibration brushing is an effective brushing method to remove dental plaque in gingival sulcus.
Brushing your teeth is a gentle brushing. Mastering this brushing method is helpful to remove dental plaque from all tooth surfaces, and it can also effectively remove dental plaque from the neck and gingival sulcus. The specific operation essentials are as follows: ① Hold the toothbrush handle, first put the brush head on the neck of the posterior teeth on one side of the mouth, with the bristles at an angle of about 45 degrees with the long axis of the teeth, pointing in the direction of the root (maxillary teeth up, mandibular teeth down), and gently apply force to make the bristles partially enter the gingival sulcus and partially rest on the gums; (2) Start brushing with 2-3 teeth as a group, and brush 10 times at the same position with short-distance horizontal vibration reciprocating motion, then rotate the toothbrush towards the crown direction and continue to brush the lip (cheek) tongue (palate) surface of the teeth; (3) After brushing the first part, move the toothbrush to the position of the next group of 2-3 teeth for repositioning, pay attention to the area overlapping with the first part, and continue to brush the next part; (4) When brushing the lingual surface of the front teeth, put the brush head vertically on the lingual surface of the teeth, so that the front bristles contact the gingival margin and brush from top to bottom. When brushing the lingual surface of the anterior teeth, brush from bottom to top; ⑤ When brushing the occlusal surface, the bristles point to the occlusal surface and brush back and forth for a short distance with a little force.
(7) Promote the use of health care toothbrushes and pay attention to timely replacement.
The health toothbrush has the following characteristics: ① the brush head is small, which makes it rotate freely in the mouth (especially in the back of the mouth); ② The arrangement of bristles is reasonable, generally, 10 ~ 12 bundles are long and 3 ~ 4 bundles are wide, and there is a certain distance between the bundles, which is not only conducive to effectively removing dental plaque, but also makes the toothbrush itself easy to clean; (3) the bristles are soft, the length of the bristles is appropriate, and the top ends of the bristles are smooth and blunt, thus avoiding the damage of the toothbrush to teeth and gums; ④ The toothbrush handle is of moderate length and width, with anti-slip design and convenient and comfortable grip.
After brushing teeth, food residues and bacteria often stick between toothbrush bristles, which may lead to the spread of diseases. After brushing your teeth, rinse your toothbrush with clear water to remove the moisture from the bristles. Put the brush head up in the cup and put it in a ventilated place. In order to prevent the toothbrush from breeding bacteria, the toothbrush should usually be replaced every three months or so. If the bristles bend or fall off, it will damage the soft and hard tissues of the mouth and need to be replaced immediately.
(8) It is recommended to choose dental floss or interdental brush to help clean the interdental space.
The gap between teeth is called adjacent gap or tooth gap, which is the easiest to retain dental plaque and soft dirt. When brushing teeth, the bristles of the toothbrush can't completely reach the space between teeth. If you can help clean the interdental space with dental floss or interdental brush while brushing your teeth every day, you can achieve the goal of thoroughly cleaning your teeth.
Dental floss is made of nylon thread, silk thread or polyester thread, which is helpful to clean the gap between adjacent surfaces or the nipple of gums, especially suitable for flat or convex tooth surfaces. The brush head of interdental brush is made of metal wire and surrounded by soft bristles, which is suitable for patients with gingival recession and exposed roots to remove dental plaque on the tooth surface and root surface in the interdental space. When using, it should be noted that if the gingival papilla is not retracted and it is difficult to insert, don't enter it reluctantly, so as not to damage the gums.
(9) Choose toothpaste according to oral health needs, and advocate the use of fluoride toothpaste to prevent dental caries.
Toothpaste is an auxiliary preparation for brushing teeth, which can enhance the friction of brushing teeth, help to remove food residues, soft dirt and dental plaque, help to eliminate or reduce oral odor, and make the breath fresh.
Adults only need to use about 1g (about 1cm in length) of paste every time they brush their teeth. If other effective ingredients, such as fluoride, antibacterial drugs, tartar control agents and anti-sensitive chemicals, are added to toothpaste, it can prevent dental caries, reduce dental plaque, inhibit the formation of tartar and resist dentin allergy.
Fluorine toothpaste has obvious caries prevention effect, and its wide application in the world is one of the main reasons for the sharp decline in the incidence of caries. Brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste is a safe and effective caries prevention measure, especially suitable for children and the elderly who are prone to caries. However, it should be noted that toothpaste is not a medicine, it can only prevent oral diseases, but not treat oral diseases. If you have oral diseases, you should seek medical advice promptly.
(10) Scientific use of fluoride is beneficial to teeth and general health.
Fluoride is an essential trace element for human health. Proper intake of fluoride can reduce the solubility of teeth, promote the remineralization of teeth, inhibit the growth of oral microorganisms and prevent dental caries. The application of fluoride can be divided into systemic application and local application. Systemic applications include: drinking water fluorination, salt fluorination, milk fluorination, fluoride tablets and fluoride drops; Local applications include: fluoride toothpaste, fluoride mouthwash, local fluoride varnish, fluoride varnish, fluoride foam, fluoride gel, etc. However, excessive intake of fluoride can also lead to some side effects, so the popularization and application of fluoride is suitable for high-risk groups in low fluoride areas, fluoride-suitable areas and areas with high caries incidence.
(1 1) Eat sugar scientifically and drink less carbonated drinks.
Sugar is one of the main nutrient elements of human beings, the main source of human energy, the flavoring agent of many foods and drinks, and the recognized risk factor of dental caries. Sucrose is the main cause of dental caries, followed by glucose and starch. If you often eat too many sugary sweets or drink too many carbonated drinks, it will lead to demineralization, dental caries or dentin hypersensitivity.
Therefore, it is very important to advocate eating sugar scientifically. The more times you eat sugar, the greater the chance of tooth damage, so try to reduce the number of times you eat sugar every day; Drink less carbonated drinks, rinse your mouth with water or tea after meals, and don't eat after brushing your teeth before going to bed at night.
(12) Smoking is harmful to oral health.
Smoking is the main risk factor of oral cancer, and more than 90% patients with oral cancer are smokers. Smoking is also one of the main risk factors of periodontal disease, and the probability of smokers suffering from periodontal disease is five times higher than that of non-smokers. Smoking or passive smoking in pregnant women can lead to fetal oral and maxillofacial deformities. Brown spots and tartar often appear on the surface of smokers' teeth, causing oral odor and affecting personal appearance and social interaction.
(13) Oral health examination at least once a year.
Dental caries, periodontal diseases and other oral diseases often occur slowly. There are no obvious symptoms in the early stage and it is usually not easy to detect. When discomfort symptoms such as pain appear, it may have reached the middle and late stage of the disease, and the treatment is very complicated. Patients will suffer more pain and spend more money, and the treatment effect may not be ideal. Therefore, regular oral health examination, at least once a year, can find oral diseases in time and treat them early. Doctors will also take corresponding preventive measures according to the needs of the situation to prevent the occurrence of oral diseases and control their development.
(14) It is recommended to wash teeth once a year.
Dental plaque, food residue and soft scale are attached to the surface of teeth, combined with minerals in saliva, and gradually calcify to form tartar. The rough surface of dental calculus not only causes bad stimulation to gingiva, but also facilitates the attachment of new dental plaque, which is a promoting factor of periodontal disease. Self-oral care can only remove dental plaque, but not dental calculus. Therefore, you should go to the hospital to have your teeth cleaned regularly, preferably once a year. Dental scaling means that dentists use dental scaling instruments to remove dental calculus and plaque deposited on the supragingival and subgingival parts around the gingival margin. There may be slight bleeding during tooth washing, and temporary dentin hypersensitivity may occur after tooth washing, but generally it will not hurt gums and teeth, nor will it cause teeth thinning and loosening.
Regular cleaning of teeth can keep teeth strong and periodontal health.
(15) Patients with oral discomfort, pain, gingival bleeding, odor and other symptoms should see a doctor in time.
Oral diseases can manifest as symptoms of pain or discomfort. For example, dental caries are often manifested as discomfort caused by hot and cold stimulation, discomfort or pain caused by biting; Acute spontaneous pain and nocturnal pain will occur in pulpitis; In the early stage of gingivitis, gum bleeding will occur when brushing teeth or biting hard objects; Oral ulcer is accompanied by the feeling of pain caused by touching the affected area; Sensitive teeth will have short and sharp pain when they are stimulated by cold, heat, acid and sweetness. 80% ~ 90% of bad breath is caused by oral diseases, mainly because anaerobic bacteria in the oral cavity digest the substances left in the oral cavity through corruption and produce volatile sulfides. In case of the above situation, you should go to a professional dental medical institution for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.
(16) Repair the missing teeth in time.
Teeth have the functions of chewing food, assisting pronunciation and maintaining facial morphology. Tooth loss is prone to chewing difficulties, food impaction, contralateral tooth elongation, adjacent tooth inclination and so on. Missing front teeth can also lead to inaccurate pronunciation and facial morphological changes. After the whole tooth falls off, it is very difficult to chew and the face is obviously old. Therefore, no matter how many teeth are lost, dentures should be repaired in time. Generally, it is repaired 2 ~ 3 months after tooth extraction. Before restoration, the diseases of the remaining teeth should be treated, and alveolar bone and soft tissue should be trimmed if necessary to ensure the quality of restoration. At present, the restoration of missing teeth mainly includes movable restoration and fixed restoration (including fixed bridge and implant denture). The specific choice of restoration methods should be based on the patient's oral condition and subjective requirements.
(17) Choose professional medical institutions for oral health care and treatment.
To carry out oral health care and treatment, we must choose professional oral medical institutions, so as to ensure good medical quality and strict infection control. The so-called dental medical institutions with professional qualifications refer to dental clinics, outpatient departments, stomatology departments of general hospitals and stomatological hospitals that have obtained the Practice License of Medical Institutions through registration according to the Regulations on the Administration of Medical Institutions and the Detailed Rules for the Administration of Medical Institutions.
In the process of oral diagnosis and treatment, patients' blood and saliva contaminated diagnosis and treatment instruments are risk factors for cross-infection. Medical institutions with professional qualifications have a set of perfect infection control management systems, measures and disinfection and sterilization equipment, which can completely eliminate cross-infection during treatment. Moreover, dentists in medical institutions with professional qualifications should receive professional education in stomatology and clinical medical skills training, obtain medical qualifications and register for practice, and have the ability to solve patients' diseases.