Humans have a very long history indeed of brushing their teeth. There's evidence to suggest that our cave man ancestors used to keep their set of pearl whites healthy by rubbing them at least once a day with ash twigs. Through the centuries people began to manufacture abrasives to help with brushing. The Romans used honey, which isn't actually as crazy as it might sound, as honey can help get rid of plaque. Other peoples used coal dust to scrub their enamel before modern toothpastes came around.
The reason we brush is to keep down the onset of colonising bacteria. These bacteria can live perfectly happily on teeth for a long time, due to the fact that unlike other parts of the body enamel doesn't regenerate. It's commonly referred to as plaque. When this plaque digests sugars it secretes acid as waste, which then rots your teeth and irritates gums. So when we brush we're displacing the bacteria that has built up, removing bits of food that it eats, and washing away harmful acids.
Brushing is an ingenious way of stopping teeth from disappearing over time, but only if you have a good dental hygiene routine. It's a good idea to brush two or more times a day, and to make sure your toothbrush bristles aren't too old. The action of your hand is important, as brushing too hard can damage teeth, and a simple side to side movement won't get into the gaps between teeth. Scrubbing up and down or using a circular action is the best way of dislodging all that old food detritus.
You should floss as well. Without flossing the plaque that can't be reached with a brush will get thicker and thicker until it digs into your gums and creates all manner of problems.
So the general message is that brushing is your first priority with dental hygiene, but you should also floss to help stave off some other potential dental problems.
The reason we brush is to keep down the onset of colonising bacteria. These bacteria can live perfectly happily on teeth for a long time, due to the fact that unlike other parts of the body enamel doesn't regenerate. It's commonly referred to as plaque. When this plaque digests sugars it secretes acid as waste, which then rots your teeth and irritates gums. So when we brush we're displacing the bacteria that has built up, removing bits of food that it eats, and washing away harmful acids.
Brushing is an ingenious way of stopping teeth from disappearing over time, but only if you have a good dental hygiene routine. It's a good idea to brush two or more times a day, and to make sure your toothbrush bristles aren't too old. The action of your hand is important, as brushing too hard can damage teeth, and a simple side to side movement won't get into the gaps between teeth. Scrubbing up and down or using a circular action is the best way of dislodging all that old food detritus.
You should floss as well. Without flossing the plaque that can't be reached with a brush will get thicker and thicker until it digs into your gums and creates all manner of problems.
So the general message is that brushing is your first priority with dental hygiene, but you should also floss to help stave off some other potential dental problems.
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