Dental Hygiene Products

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Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a gel or paste used alongside a toothbrush which helps you maintain good oral hygiene and keeps your teeth looking healthy. Toothpaste helps remove food debris and plaque from your teeth as well as combating halitosis. Most modern kinds of toothpaste will also contain several active ingredients designed to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Most dentists would agree that you should brush your teeth twice a day if not after every meal. Toothpaste can be used in conjunction with products such as proximal brushes to make inter proximal cleaning easier, especially in hard to reach areas such as the back teeth.

What's in Toothpaste?

The most popular ingredient used in toothpaste is fluoride. This can help protect against cavities and tooth decay; it also has the added benefit of preventing moisture build-up on certain surfaces. Other ingredients which may be used include calcium phosphate, potassium nitrate and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals. Many toothpastes also come with sodium lauryl suflate as this can act as an effective antimicrobial. In order to prevent gingivitis, some toothpaste manufacturers will also add antibacterial agents.

Mouthwashes

Mouthwashes are a type of product which can also help with your oral hygiene regime. There are a number of different kinds of mouthwash. Antiseptic products and anti-plaque mouthwashes are designed to eradicate bacterial plaque which leads to a number of dental problems including halitosis, caries and gingivitis. Anti-cavity mouth washes are packed with fluoride so they can protect you against tooth decay. You should note that mouthwashes alone aren't a substitute for brushing and flossing and you will need to do all three in order to ensure good oral health.

Dental Floss

Dental floss is usually made from nylon filaments or a plastic ribbon used to extract food and dental plaque from in between your teeth. You insert the floss between your teeth and scrape along the sides paying particular attention to the area near the gums. Flossing your teeth helps to keep the millions of bacteria living in our mouths at bay. If you don't floss the plaque which remains in between your teeth can harden into tartar which is not easy to remove by brushing alone. It is important to floss your teeth at least once a day and preferably after every brushing session. Floss can help to clean hard to reach places which can't be reached by a toothbrush. There are a number of alternatives to traditional floss on the market including flavoured floss, waxed or unwaxed floss and mini flossers. Flossing can be used alongside products such as interdental brushes to make sure the spaces between your teeth are cleaned properly.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral present in many types of food and water. Fluoride helps protect against tooth decay by building up a tooth's resistance to acid attacks. As well as being present in food and water it may also be applied directly to your teeth through the use of fluoride toothpastes and mouth rinses. Your dentist can also provide fluoride treatments using gel foam, or fluoride varnish.

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