eguth
pfm Member
Please make sure you use enough of it. Otherwise you may notice the effects.
Oral Health affects General Health
- Thread starter eguth
- Start date
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
I do make sure to savour by rolling it around my mouth, before swallowing. I’m going to explain to Mrs P-T that this is an important part of my oral hygiene routine.
eguth
pfm Member
Better not to use it, methinks...I'll say more downthread. For the time being, I can highly recommend trying OraCare+ (Sainsbury's own brand) . Cheap and good. No alcohol in it. Contains flouride. Advertised as targeting sensitivities.. Read the instructions before using.
eguth
pfm Member
eguth
pfm Member
I was told that mouthwashes (some/most/all?) interfere with and restrict the natural properties of one's saliva; sounds feasible to me. We have most of a 600 ml of Corsodyl mint mouthwash as recommended by my dentist years ago (contains alcohol). Neither of us liked it and I now notice that it expired Sept. '19. Timely thread this, so can chuck it now !
My mouth resembles a dental graveyard, but at 82, I'm surprised I have any teeth left. However, just before the pandemic, my dentist analysed my discomfort as 'sensitivity' to one of the few teeth not root-canaled. Just after this and the Covid start, the pain was more than sensitivity, so both of us (my wife had prob's too) adopted a 3 x a day regimen involving toothpaste with 2 different brushes, rinsing, then strong saline solution with a third brush; all slowly and methodically. Lastly, a full rinse with the salt water.
Plaque, which had always been a problem (said my dentist every time) virtually disappeared, as did tooth pain. Things are getting a trifle desperate now as bits are dropping off both my teeth and the chrome-cobalt plate. Luckily, I think (!) I still have a part-time NHS dentist of 21 years standing. Mouth sores are a continual occurrence from the jagged bits; Oral health, or lack of it, does indeed affect other aspects of general wellbeing.
I have at least 12 brushes (5 different types) on rotation; they do get knackered quickly but are luckily cheap.
Mike
I am worried about your mouth and you...not necessarily in that order. Just joking.
Seriously, we are the same age and I have none of the tragic oral circumstances that have beset your family.
If I may make one suggestion, just in case you hadn't thought of it...try to sterilise your toothbrush after each use. My attempt involves pouring some mouthwash over the brush- preferably a seemingly potent one...neat. LIDL products seem always to be made on the strong side. I tend to use Lidl DENTILUX Total Care wash (6 in1). Pour some on the bristles, then store the brush bristles upermost, so that they drain down and do not touch anything. I get my brushes from China, and my two kinds of floss from there. Works a treat, and enables me to fill my piggyvbank with enough to occassionally buy a bottle of Spitfire. By the way...don't forget to use a brand new toothbrush once a month. (For all my sins, I used to use one toothbrush for at least 5 years before getting a new one). Those days are now over.
I am not a dentist. I read somewhere that it is not a good idea to brush more than twice a day. Seems sensible. There may be some research you could do in this area. Also, not to brush immediatley after meals. Why not rinse with water more frequently, and leave brushing to twice a day, morning and evening. Do you use interdens? I always do after meals. They quickly remove large bits. They come in different diameters, in case you have spaces inbetween your teeth to shove them into.
And with regard to irritation and plaque: CHANGE YOUR DIET! I feel confident in asserting that the most frequent cause of it is diet- related, bacteria- induced grunge. I used to get it. No more. I now go in for a much healthier diet...no sweets, sugar only in the form of Gur, Blackstrop Mollases (organic) or honey (preferably raw). I grind my own wholewheat grains. I also eat commercial food that has sugar in it and other nasties... I can't be an angel all the time...
If you try some of the above tips, we would be interested in your findings after a few weeks. I think you (and we) will be pleasantly surprised.
Best,
eguth
Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
Despite my best efforts, my teeth have always been crap. However I always floss and brush after meals, using a good electric brush and Sensodyne stuff. I brush roof of mouth, gums and tongue too. I also have regular visits to dentists and spend more than I'd like. If I know I'm eating out, I take a travel tooth brush, pre-loaded with paste and a bit of floss.
Result? My teeth are still crap, but possibly less crap than they might be...
Result? My teeth are still crap, but possibly less crap than they might be...
eguth
pfm Member
I tried electric brushes. They seemed to me to encourage not best practices. They seemed to me to shift the work on to the electricity board, instead of me. Best to use manual brushes, and pay close attention to soft bristles and very low pressure, and thorough coverage. Important to get the correct angle at the tooth/gum interface both for upper and lower teeth. All of this is now standard for me. If in doubt, suggest you pay for lessons from an oral hygienist. A good investment.
I don't believe it is good to brush after each meal, nor to avoid using interdens instead.
Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
P S. While they may confer some advantages in the form of trace components, vitamins and flavour etc.. it is difficult to see any practical benefit of fancy honeys, molassesses etc, over ordinary table sugar.
All carbohydrates, including sugars, are converted to glucose (or fats) during digestion. Ingested glucose, which as I understand it represents a proportion of both honey and molasses, is immediately available for energy production, other common sugars such as fructose and sucrose need conversion to glucose in the liver.
All carbohydrates, including sugars, are converted to glucose (or fats) during digestion. Ingested glucose, which as I understand it represents a proportion of both honey and molasses, is immediately available for energy production, other common sugars such as fructose and sucrose need conversion to glucose in the liver.
Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
I brush after all meals. I didn't say I brush immediately.
I also use interdental brushes as required.
I find electric brushes much more effective than manual..if used correctly and diligently.
I also use interdental brushes as required.
I find electric brushes much more effective than manual..if used correctly and diligently.
eguth
pfm Member
Raw garlic is good to keep in your mouth- especially as a preventative for colds, flu. The russians keep a whole,peeled clove in the mouth when out for a stroll. I chew a clove as I walk in winter. Haven't had a cold in donkeys. Wonderful killer of undesirable bacteria- not only in the mouth-
but also elsewhere on and in the body.
but also elsewhere on and in the body.
eguth
pfm Member
Nothing fancy about Gur, Blackstrop or raw honey. We are not talking here of what happens on or after digestion, but practical benefits of not introducing stuff into the body that may compromise your health. (I can recommend Professor Roger Corder's 'The Wine Diet' , an exhaustive science evidence- based science- research- driven treatise on healthy living and good diet. .. inexpensive copies are usually avaiable from www.Abebooks.com. ).
I seem to be susceptible to erosion so only brush at night using some fancy toothpaste and very light rinse. My canines were getting damaged but now ok.
Do get through loads of floss as i use it after every meal or snack.
Diet is crucial, i never eat anything with added sugar apart from occasional sweet and sour sauce.
Worst part of my diet is the G & T and red wine, salads with dressing are bad news so i'm usually on salad cream or maybe a splash of balsamic.
No fillings for years and no plaque in my last three visits.
Do get through loads of floss as i use it after every meal or snack.
Diet is crucial, i never eat anything with added sugar apart from occasional sweet and sour sauce.
Worst part of my diet is the G & T and red wine, salads with dressing are bad news so i'm usually on salad cream or maybe a splash of balsamic.
No fillings for years and no plaque in my last three visits.
Ok - at last something I know about as my PhD was in oral biology, specifically preventing tooth decay.
To basics - your teeth are home to hundreds, even thousands of different species of bacteria and fungi. Of those, a small percentage, maybe a dozen or so, are the main culprits for producing acid quickly when exposed to sugar, which is the prime cause of tooth decay (gum disease is a different issue). The rest of the inhabitants are largely harmless, and actually helpful by making it harder for the nasty species to get established unless there is a high sugar diet or other environment factors (immunosuppression, frequent antibiotics for example).
This microbiological family is ‘dental plaque’, all nicely wrapped up in exuded polysaccharide soup which provides some protection for saliva and antibodies in saliva. The exact composition in terms of bacterial species is affected by diet, and there are plenty of people out there with no decay and no sign of the bugs that generate acid. By the way, if you drink a sugar solution (eg tea with 2 spoons) the acid reaches level that will dissolve tooth enamel in a few seconds and will stay there for up to 20 minutes).
To keep this below text book length, physically removing (really mostly disrupting) plaque before food and at least twice a day is best. Disrupting the plaque means that any acid produced is washed away by saliva rather that staying inside the plaque matrix. Cleaning your teeth before breakfast is a good shout. If you have a relatively low sugar diet, regularly disrupting the plaque makes it harder for the acid-producers to re-establish a stronghold in competition with the other species.
Also, blasting all the bugs with a mouthwash every day damages all the bugs - good and bad - equally and can open up your mouth to invasion by even more unpleasant invaders (Google ‘penicillin black tongue’ if you haven’t eaten recently). In my experiments, admittedly done in the 1980s and sponsored by both the largest toothpaste and the largest mouthwash manufacturer showed that the use of mouthwash did not reduce the metabolic activity of my dental plaque.
So, for tooth decay, using a fluoride toothpaste (fluoride makes the enamel stronger) and using floss/interdental brushes twice a day, coupled with keeping sugar exposure sensible and infrequent is plenty good enough.
To basics - your teeth are home to hundreds, even thousands of different species of bacteria and fungi. Of those, a small percentage, maybe a dozen or so, are the main culprits for producing acid quickly when exposed to sugar, which is the prime cause of tooth decay (gum disease is a different issue). The rest of the inhabitants are largely harmless, and actually helpful by making it harder for the nasty species to get established unless there is a high sugar diet or other environment factors (immunosuppression, frequent antibiotics for example).
This microbiological family is ‘dental plaque’, all nicely wrapped up in exuded polysaccharide soup which provides some protection for saliva and antibodies in saliva. The exact composition in terms of bacterial species is affected by diet, and there are plenty of people out there with no decay and no sign of the bugs that generate acid. By the way, if you drink a sugar solution (eg tea with 2 spoons) the acid reaches level that will dissolve tooth enamel in a few seconds and will stay there for up to 20 minutes).
To keep this below text book length, physically removing (really mostly disrupting) plaque before food and at least twice a day is best. Disrupting the plaque means that any acid produced is washed away by saliva rather that staying inside the plaque matrix. Cleaning your teeth before breakfast is a good shout. If you have a relatively low sugar diet, regularly disrupting the plaque makes it harder for the acid-producers to re-establish a stronghold in competition with the other species.
Also, blasting all the bugs with a mouthwash every day damages all the bugs - good and bad - equally and can open up your mouth to invasion by even more unpleasant invaders (Google ‘penicillin black tongue’ if you haven’t eaten recently). In my experiments, admittedly done in the 1980s and sponsored by both the largest toothpaste and the largest mouthwash manufacturer showed that the use of mouthwash did not reduce the metabolic activity of my dental plaque.
So, for tooth decay, using a fluoride toothpaste (fluoride makes the enamel stronger) and using floss/interdental brushes twice a day, coupled with keeping sugar exposure sensible and infrequent is plenty good enough.
paulbysea
pfm Member
I have used an electric toothbrush at least a couple of times a day and flossed once since the mid-1990s on the advice of a dentist. Since my tonsil and neck cancer, I have had to up my dental care regime because a combination of surgery and radiotherapy has left me with a dry mouth and poor-quality saliva. The cancer centre dentist warned me that I am at much higher risk of getting dental decay and that due to damage to the blood vessels in my jaw I would need to have any teeth taken out by an oral surgeon and healing would be very slow. To avoid these issues I now brush between 30 mins and an hour after each meal, floss and use interdental brushes daily, use a toothpick as needed and use a high-fluoride mouthwash. I also have 6 monthly dental hygenist visits and am advised to have 6 monthly dental check-ups. Fortunately having assiduously followed the advice of the dentist my teeth seem to be holding up ok.
…and long may it continue…..
Mike Reed
pfm Member
I loved 2lb jars of cod liver oil and malt for much of my life but it never dawned on me to add the whisky bit. What a silly boy I've been !
From old codger to old codger then! Thanks for your empathetic comments. My nutrition is superb and balanced but I've had sugar in everything plus a sweet tooth (well, all of them really) all my life. My father owned a newsagent/confectionary etc. shop in my teens and midnight raids down the back stairs put paid to my front teeth, so have reaped the consequences of an upper plate since about 16. Luckily, my co-conspirator younger sister got away with it
In my youth (and yours), many older people had false teeth; my parents certainly had; must've been painful in those days. Too late for implants, which have their own problems, so just waiting for the upper jaw conversion, so to speak.
I must have a natural antacid then, 'cos that's me to a tea (!).
Interesting, as my Taiwanese wife has always cleaned her teeth first thing in the morning. I've told he that it's pointless cleaning BEFORE food, but she was right all along then. She was told by her Asian dentist that Asian teeth are more prone to poor condition. No idea why, and she doesn't use sugar in drinks either. Odd.
Have tried many times over the years with various flosses but have never successfully mastered the art of being a dental contortionist. Ditto for those stick thingies but I guess it depends upon one's teeth alignment etc.
Interesting and different kind of thread, this; beats political threads any day; they're just toothless arguments; this is worthy of a plaque.
You do indeed have a natural antacid - saliva! If you are cleaning well, and/or are lucky enough not to have the very worst of the acid-producing bugs in your plaque**, then a few cups of sugary tea a day is survivable.
** I used to give a jokey talk to student dentists entitled 'is tooth decay a sexually-transmitted disease?'. A trial many years ago followed the microbiology of caries-free and caries-rampant students in Sweden for Streptococcus mutans, which at the time was thought to be the one bug that caused tooth decay (not true). The caries-free students were all free of the bug and stayed caries-free except one, who went on to need a filling. He was found to have grown some Strep. mutans and the paper drily noted that subject 67 (caries free) had started cohabiting with subject 121 (caries-prone) 14 months earlier....
eguth
pfm Member
.
hc 25036 says...''blasting all bugs with a mouthwash every day...can open your mouth to invasion by even more unpleasant invaders...''
He goes on to say that his experiments showed that the use of mouthwash ''did not reduce the metabolic activity of my dental plaque''. My own personal experience suggests that the reason I have had no caries since I started using mouthwash, and very little plaque, is down to the efficacy of mouthwash.
hc 25036 suggests that it is best to 'avoid mouthwash'. I'm not in a position to argue with this...but the Queen Mary Uni prof is. He must think that use of mouthwash is important enough to conduct an extensive investigation into commercially available ones for ordinary users, and to make recommendations based on his test results.
I say ''on with the mouthwash!''. I 'll continue washing my mouth with this wash and using same until I am invaded by seruptitious and despicable bugs that ruin my mouth, health, sex life, juvenile fantasies, and, my...appetite... assuming that I still have one by the time we get to the end of this thread.
Don't let the above give you the impression that I don't value hc's contribution. I do!
hc 25036 says...''blasting all bugs with a mouthwash every day...can open your mouth to invasion by even more unpleasant invaders...''
He goes on to say that his experiments showed that the use of mouthwash ''did not reduce the metabolic activity of my dental plaque''. My own personal experience suggests that the reason I have had no caries since I started using mouthwash, and very little plaque, is down to the efficacy of mouthwash.
hc 25036 suggests that it is best to 'avoid mouthwash'. I'm not in a position to argue with this...but the Queen Mary Uni prof is. He must think that use of mouthwash is important enough to conduct an extensive investigation into commercially available ones for ordinary users, and to make recommendations based on his test results.
I say ''on with the mouthwash!''. I 'll continue washing my mouth with this wash and using same until I am invaded by seruptitious and despicable bugs that ruin my mouth, health, sex life, juvenile fantasies, and, my...appetite... assuming that I still have one by the time we get to the end of this thread.
Don't let the above give you the impression that I don't value hc's contribution. I do!