How to properly use a new toothbrush for the first time. Toothbrush care

“You need to take care of your teeth early childhood“, in this case, children grow up healthy, cheerful, beautiful and get more chances in life.”

George Eastman

Very often, such an ordinary action as brushing your teeth raises many different questions and disagreements. If you do not properly care for your teeth, then by looking at their parents and imitating them, children learn to brush their teeth incorrectly. It will be quite difficult to relearn.

This article will not be able to put an end to " dirty teeth» and tooth decay, but if I can answer some questions about oral hygiene and dispel some of the most common myths about brushing teeth, the task will be considered accomplished.

The very first, biggest and most terrible myth: “You don’t need to brush your baby teeth!”

It is necessary, and how it is necessary!!! Firstly, baby teeth are not immune from caries, but the best remedy Its prevention is ideal individual oral hygiene, that is, good and proper brushing of teeth. And secondly, without teaching and accustoming a child to brush his teeth from the cradle, it will be much more difficult to do this later. By adulthood, a child should perceive brushing his teeth as naturally as eating. And remember that a child imitates his parents in everything, so you should become an example for the child even in such difficult work as brushing your teeth.

You should start caring for your teeth as soon as the subject of your care appears. It is recommended to clean the first teeth that have erupted with a silicone brush, which is placed on an adult’s finger. And from 8-10 months you can already use the smallest baby toothbrush. Special brushes with a thick handle have been developed for children (to make it easier to hold in the fist), they are bright, and encourage the child to also play, because it is in play that friendship is born! There are brushes with a rattle in the handle, which rattles only if you brush your teeth correctly.

Myth 2: “It doesn’t matter how you brush your teeth, the main thing is to brush”

You need to brush your teeth correctly. You can spend 5 minutes brushing your teeth and they will still be dirty. Why does this happen? Because food debris sticks very firmly to the teeth, and in order to get rid of them, you need to make some effort. You need to brush your teeth as if you were sweeping them. You clean your upper teeth with sweeping movements from top to bottom (so that dirt does not get stuck under the gum, but is swept out), and the lower teeth from bottom to top. It is imperative not to forget about inner surface teeth, which is more difficult to clean than the outside. At the end of brushing, you need to clean the chewing surface of all teeth. And definitely needs to be cleaned side surfaces teeth, there are special dental flosses for these purposes.

Myth 3: “Any toothpaste suitable for a child."

Firstly, there are many adult therapeutic (with increased content fluoride, whitening, for the treatment of periodontitis, etc.) pastes that are absolutely not suitable for children; secondly, children's toothpastes are less abrasive and they contain less fluoride, therefore, the child needs his own children's toothpaste. They are specially designed for breastfeeding and newly pregnant women. permanent teeth, the enamel of which has not yet fully “ripened”. And it is made with the expectation that the child swallows part of the paste. In this regard, children are recommended to use low-grade children's toothpastes, first gel, and then regular children's toothpastes.

Myth 4: “A child will brush his teeth even if his parents don’t.”

If before the birth of your child you brushed your teeth yourself as and when necessary, then you should definitely learn how to brush your teeth correctly together with your child. Brushing your teeth should become a real ceremony, akin to a “traditional family dinner,” which cannot be skipped or changed, you can only add participants. After all, children imitate their parents in everything, so be good example for your baby: brush your teeth with him at least 2 times a day - after breakfast and before bed. And according to the golden rule, you need to brush your teeth after every meal.

Myth 5: “You can completely trust your child to brush your teeth”

The little person must move the brush over his teeth himself, but then the caring hands of the parents must complete everything that the child cannot yet do on his own. Little by little, children learn to perform all the movements correctly, and this process cannot be rushed, so as not to make it difficult for the child, and so as not to instill a dislike for brushing teeth. Before 7 years of age, dentists recommend active parental participation in brushing teeth, and after 7 years of age, passive participation. Even for teenagers, I would strongly recommend keeping an eye on when and how they brush their teeth.

Myth 6: “Children’s toothbrushes should be made of natural bristles.”

Accumulates in natural bristles a large number of microorganisms that cannot be removed by simply rinsing the brush under running water. In addition, it is impossible to treat the bristles so that they do not injure the gums (artificial bristles have a rounded shape). With development modern technology, the use of natural bristle brushes is a thing of the past. Now dentists recommend that both adults and children use toothbrushes with artificial bristles.

Myth 7: “The larger the brush, the better it will clean your teeth.”

3A large brush cannot fit everywhere, not to mention that it is difficult to even move it. A small brush can reach all surfaces of all teeth. Adults are also recommended brushes with small heads that correspond to the size of 1.5-2 teeth.

Myth 8: “Children can brush their teeth with electric brushes”

Do not forget that the enamel of children’s teeth is not yet hard enough and the harsh impact of an electric brush can damage the immature tooth enamel. If you buy your child an electric brush, then the child’s joy will know no bounds. If brushing teeth is not taken for granted by a child, then an electric toothbrush will not be able to correct the situation. The joy will pass, the new electric brush will be next to the ordinary one, and the two of them will be bored. This is the first. Secondly, you can teach how to brush your teeth with a regular brush only in childhood, then it will be useless. For some reason, we teach our children to draw with a pencil, although we can immediately teach them to draw and type on a computer. Third, brushing teeth with an ordinary brush develops manual skills in a child, and as you know, a child’s mind is at his fingertips. Thus, brushing your teeth with an ordinary brush will be an additional gymnastics for the mind. There are special attachments for electric toothbrushes for children, but children should not use them to brush their teeth until they are 8-12 years old.

Never!!! Chewing gum is an additional means of oral hygiene. It can be used if there is absolutely no way to brush your teeth. You can chew it only after eating (but not instead of...) for 5-10 minutes. With longer chewing, everything beneficial effects chewing gum end and harmful ones begin. But this is a topic for a separate article.

Myth 10: “Fluoride rinses are a substitute for brushing your teeth.”

Brushing your teeth is mostly mechanical removal dental plaque and food debris. This is why nothing can replace a toothbrush and, accordingly, brushing your teeth. Rinse aids this is only additional funds oral hygiene, which are used after brushing your teeth. Children under 6-7 years old should not use mouthwashes because they contain high content fluorine, and they taste quite pleasant, therefore, it will not be possible to avoid the intake of excess fluoride into the child’s body. Excess fluoride is harmful not only to the teeth, but most importantly, to the child’s bones. Thus, the child’s use of funds personal hygiene, including toothpastes containing fluoride, should be discussed with the pediatric dentist and always monitored very closely.

Myth 11: “Brushes should be doused with boiling water before first use.”

Myth 12: “There must be a lot of pasta”

It must be remembered that it is not the toothpaste that cleans the teeth, but the brush. Due to antimicrobial, deodorizing and other additives, the paste helps to clean, refresh the oral cavity, and make brushing your teeth more enjoyable. If you take a lot of paste, it will foam a lot and interfere with whether we brush our teeth correctly. Yes and active substances contained in the paste will be too much. The required volume of toothpaste should not exceed the size of a large pea, and for children - a small one.

1. We start brushing our teeth as soon as they appear. First, we use a silicone brush that fits on an adult’s finger, and from 10 months we buy a special children’s toothbrush.

2. We brush our teeth after every meal, always in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before bed.

3. We brush our teeth together with our baby, so you can control him and show him that you yourself are doing the right thing.

4. Don’t forget to change the brush at least once every 3 months. There should be a new brush for every season.

Beautiful and happy children's smiles to you!

There are more ways to disinfect your toothbrush than you might think.

Disinfecting a toothbrush- this is something that we often ignore or underestimate. But if you see a petri dish containing germs from your toothbrush, you'll be afraid to brush your teeth without disinfecting your toothbrush next time.

Toothbrush- this is one of those things that you use every day and that requires disinfection. It must be disinfected as it removes all bacteria and germs from your teeth and oral tissues, and plain water ineffective in eliminating them. Running water does not disinfect toothbrush bristles. In fact, they say that rinsing your toothbrush with water has the same effect as complete absence any cleaning at all.

Ways to disinfect a toothbrush

Antiseptic mouth rinse: Soak your toothbrush in an antiseptic mouthwash for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the toothbrush from the rinse and rinse with regular or hot water and let dry. Do not place your toothbrush in the case without allowing it to dry. Antiseptic mouth rinses help kill bacteria and germs and disinfect your toothbrush.

Microwave: Place the toothbrush in the microwave for about 15 seconds. It has been established that the radiation emitted microwave, destroys bacteria and germs on the toothbrush.

Dishwasherware: According to the tests carried out, disinfection of a toothbrush in dishwasher provides the most effective results in killing germs compared to rinsing with hot water and high pressure water.

Boiling: One more effective way Toothbrush disinfection is traditionally boiled in a container of water. Boil the brush for about 15 minutes and then let it dry. The only drawback of this method is that the bristles of the toothbrush will wear out faster than usual when using it. Additionally, this method is not suitable for disinfecting an electric toothbrush.

Toothbrush Disinfectant: There are many different ones available on the market disinfectants for toothbrushes. They come in the form of a toothbrush case, a toothbrush holder, and a small sterilization capsule in which the toothbrush head can be placed and left there.

Ultraviolet sterilization lamp: You can also disinfect your toothbrush using an ultraviolet sterilizer. When using an ultraviolet sterilizer, you must turn the toothbrush over and place it in the sterilization device. The cover of this device is transparent, and the light it emits allows you to know whether it is working or not. Sterilization continues for approximately 10 minutes, after which the device automatically turns off.

Steam and dry heat: There are other electronic sanitizers that disinfect your toothbrush using steam and dry heat.

Hydrogen peroxide solution (H 2 0 2): You can disinfect your toothbrush by storing it in a hydrogen peroxide solution and changing the solution daily, although this is not a very convenient method.

White vinegar: Pour some white vinegar into a container and place your toothbrush upside down in it overnight. This procedure allows you to disinfect your toothbrush, however, this is not a 100% effective method.

Some tips for keeping your toothbrush clean

• Do not store all your toothbrushes in one toothbrush cup, as bacteria can easily transfer from one brush to another.
• Throw away the brush if the bristles begin to bend.
• Immediately throw away the toothbrush of someone who has had an illness to eliminate any chance of it transferring bacteria to other people's brushes.
• Change your toothbrush every 2-3 months.

It is very important to keep your toothbrush as clean as possible, as a brush contaminated with bacteria will lead to more more microbes, which in turn provokes the development of many diseases and problems, such as heart disease, bad breath, inflammation and tooth decay. So disinfect your toothbrush and be proud of your beautiful smile!

Video

I was looking for a new brush. And I noticed that there are new generation toothbrushes - these are ultra thin brushes. And I chose an ultra thin toothbrush from Oral-B Green tea. I liked the color and the very fine bristles.

It is also made of transparent plastic. AND green color, both the plastic and the bristles - everything impressed me. And I decided to take this particular brush. The manufacturer's line also includes Black tea. But I was afraid of such a black one and decided to try Green tea first.

This is what the brush looks like from different angles.

From the first minute I realized that this brush exceeded all my expectations. I realized this by simply conducting a dry, clean, new brush and without any remedies for the teeth. Words can't describe it, but it actually cleans the interdental spaces.

The brush is gentle. There is no discomfort for the gums. Everything is very delicate.

After a month of use, the color of the bristles began to change, which upset me a little. It was probably the green tea extract that began to wash out.

I really like the material of the brush itself. Very high quality plastic, durable, odorless and it rings in your hands.

The familiar toothbrush is a completely new invention; it appeared only 65 years ago. And in general, the use of brushes as such began not so long ago, in the 16th century. More precisely, in China in 1498, people first tried to attach pig bristles to a bamboo stick. The invention became a success and spread first throughout the country, and then migrated to Europe. Before the advent of such a brush, everything was used for dental hygiene. At first, the prototype of the brush was a bunch of grass, then Ancient Greece And in Egypt, special sticks appeared, sharpened at one end, like toothpicks, and at the other, on the contrary, soaked. In Russia, chopsticks were practically not used; ordinary people rubbed their teeth with birch charcoal, and in the bar they used crushed chalk.

In 1950, dentist Robert Hudson from California filed a patent for an invention that changed the history of dental hygiene: he proposed the world's first toothbrush with soft nylon bristles that were not traumatic to enamel and gums.

How to choose a toothbrush

Over the past 65 years, little has fundamentally changed in the history of the toothbrush. The “bicycle” has already been invented. But manufacturers do not give up hope of surprising us: with design, size, shape and even the materials from which the brushes are made. Advertising constantly screams at us about new products, new super-effective bristles, handles that bend in all directions, vibrating heads, and so on and so forth. How, in this stream of information, mostly of an advertising nature, can you identify the truth that will help you choose a toothbrush that will be truly effective for its intended purpose, and not just look beautiful in a glass on the dressing table.

“A larger toothbrush cleans better.”

No. The bulky head of the toothbrush is not able to cope with hard-to-reach surfaces of the teeth. It is much easier to manipulate a brush with a small head, the length of which does not exceed 1.5-2 teeth. It’s also good if the head of the brush tapers slightly towards the top, this allows you to reach the farthest “wisdom” teeth. There are also special mono-beam brushes that allow you to reach the most hidden places. Therefore, do not go for long and bulky brushes and leave the motto “the more the better” for the density of the bristles. Where did brushes with large heads come from then? They appeared thanks to... marketers. The fact is that most toothbrush manufacturers also produce toothpaste. So, it turned out that the larger the head of the toothbrush, the more toothpaste a person squeezes onto it during one teeth-brushing session. The result: the paste is consumed faster, which means its consumption is growing. Tricky? Undoubtedly.

“A flexible handle in a toothbrush is more comfortable”

The flexible handle may be more convenient than a regular one, but it only gets in the way of brushing your teeth. In advertising they may tell you that it absorbs and distributes pressure. In fact, it simply limits it. Because of this, some areas, especially along the gum line, simply remain uncleaned. The handle of the toothbrush should be simple and non-slip.

“Rubber tooth bristles do a better job of cleaning.”

No, rubber bristles are useless. They are thick and take up a lot of space. As a result, the brush head either becomes too bulky or there is little room on it for the regular nylon bristles that do the actual cleaning. Typically, manufacturers claim that thick rubber bristles polish enamel well. But, as practice shows, they cope poorly with this too. If you want to polish your enamel, go to the dentist for the appropriate procedure or buy yourself a special brush with polyester bristles.

“A special pad will cleanse your cheeks and tongue of plaque”

Yes, but don't flatter yourself. Such a pillow back side brush heads are a really useful thing, but for lazy people. Language is a real incubator for harmful bacteria and microorganisms. There are much more of them accumulated there than on the teeth. For this reason, it is language that sometimes becomes the source unpleasant odor from mouth. Therefore, it is imperative to clean it. This can be done with the brush itself or with a pad. But for thorough, high-quality cleaning, you can’t do without a separate scraper. And by the way, remember: you need to brush your tongue before, not after, your teeth.

“A toothbrush with natural bristles promotes the growth of bacteria.”

Yes it is. Due to the natural porous structure of natural hairs, a large number of microorganisms penetrate into them, removing which is not an easy task. Due to the same structural feature of the bristles natural brush absorbs moisture and dries many times longer than artificial. This means that bacteria have more time to reproduce. In addition, natural bristles are more difficult to disinfect: disinfectants penetrate deeply into the structure of the bristles and are then very difficult to wash out.

“A medium-hard brush is the best option”

This is not an advertisement, this option simply turned out to be convenient for both manufacturers and consumers. If you come to the store and look at the stand with toothbrushes, you will see that more than 2/3 there are medium-hard toothbrushes. But a convenient choice does not mean the right one. Remember, everything is individual. For some, a brush of medium hardness will be ineffective, but for others, on the contrary, it can injure both gums and tooth enamel. If you are unsure what level of firmness is right for you, consult a professional. The criterion “if the gums don’t bleed, then everything is fine” is not suitable, because the hardness of the brush affects not only the gums, but also the enamel of the teeth. Only a dentist can tell how strong your enamel is. Therefore, if you don’t want to go to the doctor after brushing your teeth with a medium-hard brush for several years and find out about cracks in the enamel, don’t be lazy and make an appointment now.

“An electric toothbrush suits everyone”

No. You need to choose an electric brush based on what kind of enamel you have. If you don't know this, don't buy an electric toothbrush. Many models are not designed for soft or damaged enamel; they rub teeth very hard and often and can seriously injure it. Dentists generally do not recommend buying an electric toothbrush for children under 8-12 years of age, who primarily have teeth.

How to use a toothbrush correctly

“Everything is poison, everything is medicine,” said one a wise man. To prevent your toothbrush from literally making your life miserable, keep in mind that:

Boiling water is a terrible enemy of the toothbrush

Under no circumstances douse the brush with boiling water! This is a relic of our Soviet past that is terrible for modern brushes. In the USSR, the brush market left much to be desired, and people predominantly used hard brushes made of natural bristles or hard nylon. The procedure of immersion in boiling water before the first use made the fibers softer.

But it's the 21st century, and the rules have changed. The bristles are made from soft synthetic materials, even if the brush says it is as hard as possible. These materials are not intended for high temperature experiments. Therefore, after testing with boiling water, a modern brush can simply be thrown away. If you want to disinfect your new toothbrush, use special means disinfection and warm water.

Proper storage is the key to dental health

10 million bacteria live on a toothbrush! Brushing your teeth, splashes from washing, washing, and even residue from an air freshener (if you have a shared bathroom) - all this leads to the fact that a toothbrush very quickly becomes a real breeding ground for germs. During latest research English scientists from the University of Manchester discovered that in addition to completely harmless microbes, toothbrushes also contain bacteria coli and staphylococcus. They outlined several possible sources of contamination: the toothbrush bristles themselves, which are contaminated with oral bacteria, splashes of water in the sink/tub when you wash your hands or do laundry, and splashes of water when the toilet is flushed. How to protect your toothbrush?

First, stop using the plastic case. If you think that it will protect the brush from germs, then you are mistaken. The case prevents the bristles from drying out quickly, and warm air in the bathroom and humidity are known to promote the rapid proliferation of pathogens.

Secondly, periodically (but not constantly) use toothpastes with triclosan, an antibacterial component. wide range actions. Do not rinse, but rinse the brush thoroughly after each use and, if possible, store household toothbrushes in different cups at some distance from each other.

And lastly, if you have a shared bathroom, be sure to close the toilet lid before flushing (and in general, keep it closed if possible) to avoid the spread of bacteria and viruses in the air.

Do you feel tired and completely exhausted in the morning? Do you have no energy for anything and want to sleep all day? You're trying to lead healthy image life, you even went on a diet and went to a fitness club, but this does not help you feel more cheerful, quite the contrary? Perhaps the reason is typical mistakes which most of us admit in our Everyday life. These hidden mistakes are especially typical for those who decide to “take care of themselves.” It is not at all necessary to do them all. Two or three are enough to fall out of normal life.