Bacterial plaque, the common enemy of teeth and gums, is a sticky film of microbes that causes tooth decay. When it seeps into your gums, it causes gum disease, which quickly leads to tooth loss. The most effective way to remove bacterial plaque and food debris from the inside, outside and chewing surfaces of the teeth is to brush your teeth correctly. It is preferred that the brush head is not too large in order to move it easily in the mouth and to reach the back teeth easily. Hold the toothbrush on the outer surfaces of the teeth so that half of the bristles are on the teeth and the other half are on the gums. Then, without moving the brush; tilt the upper jaw up and the lower jaw down 45 degrees. Apply moderate pressure by applying small circular and vibration movements simultaneously and thoroughly without moving the brush.
Then, apply a sweeping motion downwards on the upper jaw and upwards on the lower jaw. Repeat these movements 10 times on the same area. After achieving a complete cleaning, repeat the same movements on the other areas by advancing the brush along the tooth row. Clean the inner sides of the upper and lower jaw in the same way. The aim is to is to move systematically and clean without skipping teeth. Then, the chewing surfaces of the teeth are brushed by moving the brush back and forth in a straight line. The brushing process should last at least two to three minutes. Healthy gums do not bleed during brushing
Bacterial plaque can only be cleaned with a toothbrush. However, it is not possible to completely clean the bacterial plaque in the interdental areas even with the best brushing method. For this reason, the best assistants to a toothbrush for the interdental areas are dental floss and interdental brushes. A toothbrush is a personal tool, not shared with others. It can usually be used for 3-4 months. You can tell if a toothbrush is broken by the bristle bundles separating from each other, breaking apart and bending. Hard-bristled brushes can damage your teeth. Children, on the other hand, wear out their brushes faster because they cannot yet apply the correct brushing technique
If a proper technique is not used, teeth will be damaged. Although teeth are covered with enamel, a very hard layer, they can be damaged even more by a brush that you apply only with the wrong technique. Both on the upper part of the tooth and in the root can cause erosion in the covering layer and receding gums. In this case, the teeth become more prone to decay. Brushing with a force great enough to erode the teeth should be avoided and the brushing should be done with gentle movements. Another thing to do is to massage the gums and brush. Brushing should be continued even if there is a complaint of “But doctor, my gums are bleeding…” because the vessels that feed the gums have become full as a result of poor circulation. This is called “congestion” in medical terms. To treat it, it will be necessary to open the capillaries, i.e. brush them. Thus, the blood vessels of the gums heal and bleeding stops on its own. Brushing the gums is one of the most effective ways to protect against gum disease.
As a result; there is no toothbrush that has become unquestionably prominent and is accepted to be significantly more effective in removing plaque than others. People's requests regarding toothbrushes are very different. Each doctor should make their toothbrush recommendation after evaluating the patient's oral structure, gum condition and manual dexterity. In general, the features of the brush that can be recommended can be as follows: A normal, non-electric toothbrush with four rows of bristles, very soft nylon bristles. Such a brush is suitable for many patients, but patients with different needs should not be forgotten.
