Journal of Oral Hygiene & Health
Open Access

Dental plaque; Floss; Gingivitis; Interdental; Oral irrigator; Toothbrush; Wood sticks

Introduction

By regularly brushing one’s teeth (dental hygiene) and cleaning in between the teeth, one can practise oral hygiene, which involves keeping their mouths healthy and free of disease and other issues (such as bad breath). In order to prevent dental disease and bad breath, it is crucial to practise regular oral hygiene. The most prevalent dental illnesses are periodontitis, gingivitis, and tooth decay (also known as dental caries and cavities). According to general recommendations, individuals should use fluoridated toothpaste at least twice daily, last thing at night and at least once more. Interdental cleaning, also known as interdental care, is just as vital as brushing your teeth. This is due to the fact that a toothbrush cannot clean in between teeth and only removes roughly 50% of plaque from the tooth’s surface. Each person is free to select the instrument they wish to use when cleaning in between the teeth; options include floss, tape, and interdental brushes [2-6]. White teeth or straight teeth may occasionally be linked to good dental hygiene. Yet, a clean mouth can have discoloured or misaligned teeth. People may utilise orthodontics and tooth whitening procedures to make their teeth look better. More and more people are realising how crucial the oral microbiome is to dental health. Results from human oral microbiology studies demonstrate how complex environmental changes can cause a commensal microflora to transform into an opportunistic pathogenic flora. Instead of the germs, the host is what causes these modifications. The oral microbiome has changed significantly over time, moving more and more towards a diseaseassociated microbiome with cariogenic bacteria dominating during the Industrial Revolution, according to archaeological evidence of calcified tooth plaque. Compared to historical populations, the oral microbiotas of today are substantially less varied. In industrialised nations, caries (cavities), for instance, now affects 60–90% of students and has become a serious endemic illness. In contrast, early and pre-Neolithic hominins rarely had periodontal and dental illnesses.

Discussion

Complex illnesses like periodontal and dental caries are brought on by an ineffective interaction between the bacteria in the plaque and the host’s defence mechanisms. The main strategy for preventing these illnesses is to reduce plaque development in the absence of effective ways to alter host responses. Normal mouth self-cleansing processes don’t significantly affect plaque development. Plaque must thus be actively removed on a regular basis. Plaque-free surfaces cover the entirety of every tooth’s surface when the mouth is considered clean. When done daily and thoroughly enough, brushing your teeth and other mechanical techniques are thought to be the most effective way to reduce plaque. The toothbrush is a straightforward, low-tech, user-friendly item that is commonly used and within most people financial reaches. The standard flat head brush doesn’t seem to be as effective as double or triple headed brushes. Plaque removal appears to be accelerated with the use of electric toothbrushes with rotating or oscillating brush heads and brushes moving at high frequencies. No manual teeth-brushing technique has been demonstrated to be obviously superior to others, as long as the specific brushing motions are performed on all accessible tooth surfaces. It is feasible to achieve a respectable level of cleanliness with enough time and effort. Whether motorised or manual, cleaning your teeth can’t get into the proximal and interdental spaces. Thus, the proximal and interdental regions must be the emphasis of any programme or oral hygiene education aimed to decrease caries and periodontal disease. For cleaning between the teeth, dental floss, tape, woodsticks, and interdental brushes might all be helpful. No single approach, though, works for all patients [7-10].

The significance of oral health in early life and its potential effects on a child’s development, growth, health, and quality of life must be understood by primary care physicians, gynaecologists, and paediatricians. Dental caries in particular, faults in the development of the dental tissues, periodontal disease, and orthodontic problems all have complicated and linked aetiologies with widespread, mostly behavioural risk factors. The primary risk factor for poor dental and overall health is a diet high in sugar, especially when combined with poor oral hygiene. In order to prevent oral disorders, which have a good impact on many chronic conditions, the main pillars of prevention are regular use of fluoride toothpaste and a reduction in sugar intake. In order to encourage healthy lifestyles and self-care behaviours in families, future preventive initiatives should concentrate on pregnant women and moms of young children with a shared vision of health and responsibility for children’s oral health care.

Dental caries in particular, faults in the development of the dental tissues, periodontal disease, and orthodontic problems all have complicated and linked aetiologies with widespread, mostly behavioural risk factors. The main personal risk factors are a diet high in sugar along with poor dental hygiene and unsuitable fluoride exposure. So, frequent use of fluoride toothpaste and a reduction in sugar intake are the cornerstones of dental disease prevention.

The goal of the current mechanical and chemotherapeutic methods of oral hygiene is to alter the oral microbiota in order to support strong dental and periodontal tissues. When utilised properly and in conjunction with routine professional treatment, current oral hygiene practises are almost completely effective at preventing caries, the majority of periodontal diseases, and preserving oral health. The two most popular dental hygiene practises are brushing and flossing, while periodontally compromised dentitions may benefit from using interdental brushes and wooden sticks. As a salivary stimulant, chewing sugar-free gums is a promising caries-prevention strategy. Mechanical measures need manual dexterity and mental acuity despite new goods and design changes.

Oral hygiene can be improved by employing dentifrices, mouthrinses, gels, and chewing gum as delivery systems to administer chemotherapy in addition to mechanical procedures. Anticalculus, antibiotic, and cariostatic agents are included in the list. Oral hygiene promotion must be implemented in order for the general populace to utilise these procedures effectively. For children, the role of parents, schools, and the media are taken into account. For adults and the elderly, nursing homes and skilled carers are also taken into account. By addressing financial and other barriers, community oral hygiene promotion must work to maximise chances for everyone’s oral health and eliminate inequities.

Conclusion

The clinical impact of oral hygiene on the prevention of periodontitis has not been directly studied in well-powered, randomised controlled trials, but it has been demonstrated in periodontitis patients that weekly professional supragingival plaque removal significantly reduced counts of both supragingival and subgingival species, creating a microbial profile similar to that seen in periodontal health. It is difficult to conduct randomised controlled clinical studies to determine the impact of oral hygiene because determining the clinical characteristics associated with periodontitis necessitates a multi-year investigation. Hence, up until now, we have had to rely on data from research that used largely observational data or data from individuals with gingivitis.

The patient’s unique situation should be taken into account while selecting a toothbrush type. A power toothbrush (with oscillatingrotating or sonic technology) seems to be the ideal option if plaque clearance has to be enhanced, for example, is caused by the existence of deficiencies combined with biofilm-associated pathologic conditions. Due to the current attachment loss, plaque control is more difficult in patients with periodontitis. Clinical study data, however, are scant. In patients with periodontitis who were receiving regular maintenance therapy, a randomised controlled clinical study lasting more than 3 years was unable to show that powered toothbrushes and triclosan dentifrice had superior clinical and microbiologic effects to manual toothbrushes and traditional fluoride-dentifrice. The interdental brush is the most efficient interdental cleaner for patients with periodontitis. In the event that the interdental brush does not fit properly without causing trauma, there is additional space for dental floss, woodsticks, or rubber interdental cleaners. Although some results may be anticipated by employing an oral irrigator along the gum line with the purpose of cleaning the subgingival area, the oral irrigator mostly relies on shear forces, which cannot be created in wide, open interdental areas in periodontitis patients.

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