Yet more weird and wonderful facts about your mouth brought to you by Ewan Bramley!
Here at Ewan Bramley Dental, we like to keep your informed with facts about oral health so you can keep your teeth, mouth and gums fresh and healthy. Let’s take a look at our top amazing facts about it.
Saliva is your best friend in teeth world – it isn’t just the toothbrush!
You may think that nothing replaces a good old floss and brush, but did you know your mouth’s initial line of defence in the battle against tooth decay is saliva? How come? That’s easy, saliva is great at washing away that pesky food residue that lies in your mouth, but that’s not all. It also has within it crucial antibacteria, which can nullify those acids that damage tooth enamel and will help restore the balance in your mouth and your teeth.
Please remember, if your mouth is prone to becoming dry, then bacteria is allowed to spread quicker. Always keep a bottle of water at hand!
There are hundreds of different forms of bacteria in your mouth!
Don’t be worried if you haven’t heard of Streptococcus mutans before, but that’s the dreaded bacteria that causes something that all of us could do without; tooth decay. When we eat certain sugary foods and drink, this bacteria is allowed to form and eats away at precious tooth enamel. Plaque, however, contains millions of different types of bacteria. Sorry folks, but it’s true!
When we sleep, plaque comes out to play…
You’re far more likely to get tooth decay if you don’t brush in between meals and look after your teeth. Plaque can also roam even when we don’t eat, like when we’re asleep. So even though your teeth may look and feel good when morning comes, it’s still vital that you brush so that the bacteria that’s built during the night is removed. You must also brush at least once more in the day time.
If you don’t have a regular brushing and flossing routine, plaque continues to build and will result in tartar, which only a dentist can remove professionally.
Don’t brush too hard!
Don’t be fooled into thinking if you brush harder it’ll make your teeth whiter. In reality, it’ll actually do more harm than good. The harder your brush, the more likely it is that your gums and teeth will wear away, like a piece of sandpaper on wood. The answer? Brush in gentle circles using a soft toothbrush. Simple!
Chipped teeth can lead to tooth decay…
The soft bone-like tissue that covers our teeth routes, dentine, can be exposed when a chipped tooth occurs. Our enamel protects us against tooth decay but dentine if left exposed decays at a rapid rate when bacteria is allowed to enter the chipped part of the tooth. The solution? Get it fixed by a dentist without delay!
For more information about keeping your oral health in check, visit www.ewanbramley.com
