Oral hygiene

Proper oral hygiene requires regular brushing and interdental cleaning

Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems (e.g. bad breath) by regular brushing of the teeth (dental hygiene) and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out on a regular basis to enable prevention of dental disease and bad breath. The most common types of dental disease are tooth decay (cavities, dental caries) and gum diseases, including gingivitis, and periodontitis.[1]

General guidelines for adults suggest brushing at least twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste: brushing before going to sleep at night and after breakfast in the morning.[2] Cleaning between the teeth is called interdental cleaning and is as important as tooth brushing.[3] This is because a toothbrush cannot reach between the teeth and therefore only removes about 50% of plaque from the surface of the teeth.[4] There are many tools available for interdental cleaning which include floss, tape and interdental brushes; it is up to each individual to choose which tool they prefer to use.

Sometimes white or straight teeth are associated with oral hygiene. However, a hygienic mouth can have stained teeth or crooked teeth. To improve the appearance of their teeth, people may use tooth whitening treatments and orthodontics.

A healthy smile

The importance of the role of the oral microbiome in dental health has been increasingly recognized.[5][6][7] Data from human oral microbiology research shows that a commensal microflora can switch to an opportunistic pathogenic flora through complex changes in their environment.[8] These changes are driven by the host rather than the bacteria.[9] Archeological evidence of calcified dental plaque shows marked shifts in the oral microbiome towards a disease-associated microbiome with cariogenic bacteria becoming dominant during the Industrial Revolution.[10][11] Streptococcus mutans is the most important bacteria in causing caries. Modern oral microbiota are significantly less diverse than historic populations.[10] Caries (cavities), for example, have become a major endemic disease, affecting 60-90% of schoolchildren in industrialized countries.[12] In contrast, dental caries and periodontal diseases were rare in pre-Neolithic and early hominins.[11][13]

  1. ^ Darby M, Walsh MM (2010). Procedures Manual to Accompany Dental Hygiene: Theory and Practice. St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders/Elsevier.
  2. ^ "Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention". GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ Claydon NC (2008). "Current concepts in toothbrushing and interdental cleaning". Periodontology 2000. 48: 10–22. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0757.2008.00273.x. PMID 18715352.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Kilian M, Chapple IL, Hannig M, Marsh PD, Meuric V, Pedersen AM, et al. (November 2016). "The oral microbiome - an update for oral healthcare professionals". British Dental Journal. 221 (10): 657–666. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.865. hdl:10722/239520. PMID 27857087.
  6. ^ Mahasneh SA, Mahasneh AM (September 2017). "Probiotics: A Promising Role in Dental Health". Dentistry Journal. 5 (4): 26. doi:10.3390/dj5040026. PMC 5806962. PMID 29563432.
  7. ^ Huttenhower C, Gevers D, Knight R, Abubucker S, Badger JH, Chinwalla AT, et al. (Human Microbiome Project Consortium) (June 2012). "Structure, function and diversity of the healthy human microbiome". Nature. 486 (7402): 207–214. Bibcode:2012Natur.486..207T. doi:10.1038/nature11234. PMC 3564958. PMID 22699609.
  8. ^ Bartold PM, Van Dyke TE (June 2013). "Periodontitis: a host-mediated disruption of microbial homeostasis. Unlearning learned concepts". Periodontology 2000. 62 (1): 203–217. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0757.2012.00450.x. PMC 3692012. PMID 23574467.
  9. ^ Marsh PD, Devine DA (March 2011). "How is the development of dental biofilms influenced by the host?". Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 38 (Suppl 11): 28–35. doi:10.1111/j.1600-051X.2010.01673.x. PMID 21323701.
  10. ^ a b Adler CJ, Dobney K, Weyrich LS, Kaidonis J, Walker AW, Haak W, et al. (April 2013). "Sequencing ancient calcified dental plaque shows changes in oral microbiota with dietary shifts of the Neolithic and Industrial revolutions". Nature Genetics. 45 (4): 450–5, 455e1. doi:10.1038/ng.2536. PMC 3996550. PMID 23416520.
  11. ^ a b Arthur C. Aufderheide (1998). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Paleopathology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521552035.
  12. ^ Petersen PE, Bourgeois D, Ogawa H, Estupinan-Day S, Ndiaye C (September 2005). "The global burden of oral diseases and risks to oral health" (PDF). Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 83 (9): 661–669. PMC 2626328. PMID 16211157.
  13. ^ Grine FE, Gwinnett AJ, Oaks JH (1990). "Early hominid dental pathology: interproximal caries in 1.5 million-year-old Paranthropus robustus from Swartkrans". Archives of Oral Biology. 35 (5): 381–386. doi:10.1016/0003-9969(90)90185-D. PMID 2196866.