Are we brushing teeth the wrong way? Too much toothpaste, rinsing with water
If TikTok has taught me anything, it's that the bath is a highly preferred location to stage viral videos.
And it'due south not simply those #fliptheswitch ones (for non-Gen Z readers, it's a challenge involving 2 people switching outfits to Drake's Nonstop).
One bathroom series that's been going around is that of Dr Gao Jye Teh, a Malaysian dentist who's been amusingly giving the states the viral lowdown on, well, brushing teeth.
He's claimed you don't need to rinse your oral cavity and you lot've really been using way besides much toothpaste on your pearly whites.
So, in the spirit of dental hygiene fact-checking, I went and asked other doctors if there was any truth to all these claims.
WAIT, DON'T Gargle AFTER BRUSHING?
In his video, Dr Gao said that the fluoride in the toothpaste takes time to work, and rinsing your mouth washes out the fluoride before its tooth-protecting benefits kick in.
You definitely want your toothbrushing efforts to stick just not gargle with water at all after brushing?
"This is true as rinsing with a large volume of water after toothbrushing dilutes the concentration of fluoride at the teeth's surfaces and reduces its effectiveness in preventing tooth disuse," said Dr Wong Kuan Yee, the registrar at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital'due south Dental Surgery Department.
Rinsing with a large volume of water after toothbrushing dilutes the concentration of fluoride at the teeth'southward surfaces and reduces its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay.
If y'all're non used to the foamy feel left in the rima oris, Dr Wong suggested rinsing with a smaller volume of water instead. Still, this is not recommended for young children to forbid them from ingesting fluoride (more of that in a while).
READ: What's that white coating on your tongue? How to tell if you lot're salubrious or not
Dr Bien Lai, the caput and consultant with the paediatric unit of measurement at National Dental Centre Singapore'due south (NCDS) Section of Restorative Dentistry, has another take: "Having the right amount of toothpaste in the mouth for two minutes would have helped".
That'south provided you're brushing with a 1,000 parts per million (ppm) fluoridated toothpaste twice daily, she qualified.
The fluoride concentration is usually stated on the packaging. "About toothpaste sold locally incorporate 1,000ppm to ane,500ppm (0.10 per cent to 0.15 per cent) of fluoride, which is within the rubber limit of 0.15 per cent set up by Singapore's Health Sciences Authorisation," said Dr Wong.
WHEN Also MUCH FLUORIDE ISN'T GOOD
Speaking of toothpaste quantity, TikToker Dr Gao was as well correct about united states using too much toothpaste.
What you need is merely a rice grain-sized amount of one,000ppm fluoridated toothpaste for children under three years old, affirmed Dr Wong. A smear will practise as children of these ages may accept difficulty spitting out the toothpaste.
For older children and adults, you simply require a pea-sized amount of 1,000ppm fluoridated toothpaste, said Dr Lai.
"Using an entire strip of toothpaste – similar to what nosotros meet in commercials – is unnecessary, and does not add any benefits to the dental health," said Dr Yang Jingrong, a consultant with the periodontic unit of measurement at NDCS'south Department of Restorative Dentistry.
The evolution of the crown (top role of the tooth) completes at about three years one-time for upper permanent front teeth, and about nine years old for the back teeth.
Only why limit the toothpaste quantity used?
Take a look at your teeth in the mirror. If you spot white flecks or frosty edges on your tooth enamel, you may take fluorosis – a condition indicative of ingesting excessive amounts of fluoride when your teeth were still developing, said Dr Lai.
Dr Wong explained that fluoride present in the body is used to create enamel during your teeth's formation.
Withal, when there is an excessive corporeality of fluoride, say from ingesting toothpaste during brushing, information technology results in dental fluorosis.
"This would appear equally opaque or brown discolouration and/or pitting of the enamel," she said.
Fluorosis typically starts during childhood. "The evolution of the crown (top part of the tooth) completes at about three years former for upper permanent front end teeth, and almost ix years former for the back teeth," said Dr Lai.
Other than ingesting toothpaste, drinking water with high levels of fluoride can also play a part.
These days though, fluoridated water from our taps is less of a cause for fluorosis "because the national water fluoridation has changed over the years", said Dr Lai, though "in that location is no recent epidemiology study on fluorosis".
The good news is, there isn't a risk of fluorosis developing or worsening in adulthood. "The molar development would take been completed mode earlier age 21," said Dr Lai.
CAN You COMPLETELY OMIT FLUORIDE?
You lot do need fluoride. "In adults, fluoride nowadays in toothpaste acts locally on the surface of the fully developed teeth to prevent decay," said Dr Wong.
"Decay occurs when leaner present in plaque produce acids that demineralises tooth surfaces, leading to the germination of cavities if left untreated."
READ: Are you lot grinding your teeth? You could exist stressed or have a sleeping disorder
Even the utilize of oral fissure rinses is not sufficient on its ain, said Dr Yang.
"We do non routinely advise the employ of oral fissure rinses, except in cases where patients have difficulties in brushing their teeth."
These can range from oral surgery to impaired dexterity (for instance, stroke or Parkinson'southward patients) and cognitive damage.
Even and then, such patients are brash to use the mouth rinses "as a supplementation to brushing, but not a replacement", said Dr Yang.
Maybe TikTok isn't simply for Gen Z and dance trends.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/tips-toothbrushing-teeth-dental-hygiene-tiktok-dentist-236061
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