| Brush those teeth! |
The toothbrush as we know it today was not invented until 1938. However, early forms of the toothbrush have been in existence since 3000 B.C. Ancient civilizations used a “chew stick,” a thin twig with a frayed end.
The bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today, was invented in 1498 in China. The bristles were stiff, coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo.
Boar bristles were used until 1938, when nylon bristles were introduced by Dupont de Nemours. The first nylon toothbrush was called Doctor West’s Miracle Toothbrush.
Americans were influenced by the disciplined hygiene habits of soldiers from World War II and quickly adopted the nylon toothbrush. |
By Dave Schafer
You’re at your bathroom sink, brushing your teeth. A bit of thin red blood is mixed with the thick creamy white glob of toothpaste when you spit. The water is tinted red when you rinse.
No big deal. Everyone’s gums bleed a little. Scrubbing your gums with a toothbrush and floss are rough procedures. Right?
Wrong. Perhaps deadly wrong.
Bleeding gums indicate germs, or plaque, have infected the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth, said Dr. Johanna DeYoung, chief of the Health and Human Services’ Oral Health Bureau.
Nearly 80 percent of American adults have gingivitis or some form of periodontitis, the Mayo Clinic reports.
“If you notice blood from a particular area, clean it even better,” DeYoung said.
Regular and diligent cleaning is the key to a cleaner mouth, and a cleaner mouth is an indication of a healthier body, studies have found.
Gum invasion
“The cleaner your mouth is, the healthier your body should be,” said Meleesa Mocek, a hygienist for Dr. Patrick J. McClellan’s general dentistry practice.
Gum disease, a type of periodontal disease, isn’t a natural part of aging. It’s caused by the accumulation of food and bacteria below the gumline.
The symptoms of gingivitis, the most common gum disease, are irritation, inflammation and bleeding.
Untreated gingivitis can progress to more serious diseases such as periodontitis, an infection of the bone and gum tissue that attach the tooth to the bone. Forty percent of Americans over age 12, and 80 percent over age 65, have some form of periodontitis. Bone loss progresses slowly, and its severity is determined by the amount of plaque and calculus below the gumline.
In some cases, periodontitis presents no signs.. If untreated, or treated too late, periodontitis can lead to tooth loss.
| Whoo-wee, what's that smell and why is it following me? |
You may not be aware, but your co-workers notice your embarrassing bad breath. Like other oral problems, bad breath can be treated by cleaning your mouth consistently. Below are other facts to consider about bad breath, also known as halitosis:
• What you eat affects the air you exhale.
• If you don’t brush, particles of food remain to collect the bacteria that cause bad breath.
• Dry mouth, often caused by medications, salivary gland problems, or continuously breathing through the mouth, causes bad breath.
• Tobacco products cause bad breath.
• Mouthwashes are generally cosmetic and do not have a long-lasting effect on bad breath. If you must constantly use a breath freshener to hide a bad odor, see your dentist. |
Heart effects
Germs in the mouth can cause sensitive teeth, bad breath or, when mixed with sugar, cavities. But something worse can happen when gums bleed: It gives germs an entry point into your bloodstream.
Researchers are studying the connections between gum disease and stroke, premature births, diabetes and respiratory disease. They’ve already found a correlation between gum disease and heart disease. “Bacteria from your mouth breaks free and gets into your blood stream, and it has an affinity for the heart,” Mocek said.
People with a history of heart disease should be particularly diligent about brushing their teeth, she said.
Parental influences
Bad teeth and poor oral health aren’t inherited, DeYoung said.
“Don’t think that just because your mother and your grandmother had bad oral health, that means that you have to,” she said. “It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. It doesn’t have to be that way.”
But parental influences, teaching and socioeconomic conditions do have a big impact on oral health. By instilling good hygiene habits, parents can set their children on the road to good oral health, DeYoung said.
Cavities are the most chronic childhood disease, five times more common than asthma, according to the Center for Health and Heath Care in Schools. One reason is that low-income children don’t see a dentist regularly.
Also, children tend to “bathe” their teeth in sugar through candy and sweet drinks. The sugar combines with germs to produce the acid that eats away at the tooth’s enamel and creates cavities, DeYoung said.
Fifteen minutes after a child drinks a soft drink, the sugar’s acid is working on the tooth, she said.
Chewing sugary gum, sucking on lemons and limes, even drinking juice are culprits, she said. One of the worst is the acid candy, such as Lucas and Twang, that is so popular among children.
Parents can help by offering children an apple instead of apple juice (a practice that helps stave off obesity, too), buying sugar-free candy and gum, giving fluoridated tap water, and using fluoridated toothpaste. The fluoride bonds with teeth and builds them up while most other substances break them down.
“The teeth need as much help as they can get,” DeYoung said.
What can we do?
The solution is simple: good oral hygiene, which prevents the buildup of germs that cause damage. “A clean mouth is a healthy mouth,” DeYoung said.
She recommends brushing after eating. If that’s not possible, brush in the morning and night. Most importantly, brush before going to bed because what’s on your teeth will stay there while you’re sleeping.
The American Dental Association says a balanced diet can also help prevent gum disease. So does stopping smoking.
Adults, too, should drink fluoridated tap water. And of course, they should see the dentist every 6 to 12 months.
The city’s dental plans cover one preventive and diagnostic service every six months with no copayment.
If the problem is gingivitis or the early stages of periodontitis, beginning this routine may fix the problem. In the later stages of periodontitis, the damage is done and irreversible, DeYoung said.
In that case, the best you can hope for is to stop the progression.
Teeth can always be restored, but it might require a significant cost and needless pain.
“The most affordable dental care is prevention,” DeYoung said.
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