Stop overbrushing!

How often have we seen the TV toothbrushing of people supposedly cleaning their teeth big circular movements over the front upper and lower front teeth? It makes easy to see TV of a brush in motion BUT it is not cleaning the teeth. IT IS DAMAGING THE TEETH AND GUMS AND WASTING TOOTH PASTE! When the toothpaste froths it looks like the person has rabies!

The toothbrush over time has the ability to abrade the surface of the enamel, gums and the roots.

The enamel covers the pale yellow dentine layer, which forms the base colour of the tooth. Wearing the enamel allows this colour to become more prominent. This colour is below the surface, which means more aggressive will not remove the yellowish hue but make it worse. Bleaching can alter the colour of the enamel to mask the dentine. However if the dentine is exposed, bleaching will not change its colour but instead can cause a great deal of sensitivity. The shape of the tooth can also be altered with the wear of the enamel. Teeth only need to be cleaned; NOT POLISHED. If you polish anything a layer is removed. With teeth, this layer is gone forever.
High caffeine, sugar and carbonic acid (fizzy drinks) intake can cause the enamel to be soft and easily worn.

The gums are also damaged by aggressive circular or scrubbing tooth brushing. The gum recedes away from the neck of the tooth as it loses attachment the bone and root surface. The root is made of dentine and hence a yellowish border to the tooth is seen near the gum. This cannot be bleached and can become very sensitive. Sensitive toothpastes and other chemicals will work only if the over-brushing habit stops. This we will explore in a later blog.

The exposed roots are softer than the enamel. This means with further wear by the toothbrush a groove is cut into the dentine. In severe cases, decay may occur and eventually the nerve can be exposed. As a result a tooth coloured filling may need to be placed. The exposed root is not as resistant to decay as the enamel. This is especially noticeable in patients with a dry mouth as a result of certain medications, medical conditions and/or advanced age.
Sticky sweet foods with a dry mouth give rise to a high incidence of root decay.

SO A FIRM WIPE AWAY FROM TOUCHING THE GUMS AT THE NECK OF THE TOOTH TO THE BITING SURFACE, ACCURATELY CLEANS AND PRESERVES THE TEETH AND GUMS.

SLOW DOWN OR I’LL ISSUE YOU A SPEEDING TICKET!

Next week: Autumn in Lovely Bowral – Rural Rotation of a Final Year Student, Dilara