The importance of Oral Hygiene
The importance of Oral Hygiene
Prevention is always better than treatment. By only dedicating a few minutes every day for teeth brushing, we can save the hassle of dental treatment and the high costs involved. It is important to understand that proper oral hygiene must become a habit that we must follow carefully every day for the rest of our lives. Strong teeth allow us to eat and talk without problems, and help our appearance and self-confidence.
How does not applying oral hygiene cause disaster?
The goal of oral hygiene is not only the cleaning of teeth from food but the mechanical removal of a very thin biofilm that forms on our teeth and is called microbial dental plaque. This thin layer is full of germs, it accumulates on the teeth until we remove it and it is the cause of almost all dental problems such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. To make a long story short: poor oral hygiene allows plaque germs to grow undisturbed producing acids that break down the enamel (hard substance) of the teeth causing tooth decay. At the same time, the germs irritate and infect the gums and cause the often uncontrollable reaction of the host, creating gingivitis at first (inflammation of the gums), which can later develop into periodontitis.