Oral hygiene

Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems and halitosis(bad breath).

Teeth cleaning

Teeth cleaning is the removal of dental plaque and tartar from teeth. One should clean (brush) teeth to prevent cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease. Severe gum disease causes at least one-third of adult tooth loss. Generally, dentists recommend professional cleaning at least twice per year. Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling, tooth polishing, and, if too much tartar has built up, debridement. [di’bri:dment]. This is usually followed by a fluoride treatment for children and adults.Good personal oral hygiene is essential for preventing tartar build-up which causes the problems mentioned above. This is done by carefully and frequently brushing with a toothbrush and the use of dental floss to prevent accumulation of plaque on the teeth.

Interdental brushing

Periodontologists (periodontology [,pieriəden'tolədzi]= periodontics [pieriə'dontiks] - the branch of dentistry concerned with the structures surrounding and supporting the teeth) nowadays prefer the use of interdental brushes to dental floss. This method is more gentle to the gums. It also carries less risk for hard dental tissue damage. There are different sizes of brushes that are recommended according to the size of the interdental space.

Flossing

The use of dental floss is an important element of the oral hygiene, since it removes the plaque and the decaying food remaining stuck between the teeth. This food decay and plaque cause irritation to the gums and the gum tissue may bleed more easily. Flossing for a proper inter-dental cleaning is recommended at least once per day, preferably before bedtime, to help prevent receding gums, gum disease, and cavities between the teeth.

Tongue cleaning

Cleaning the tongue as part of the daily oral hygiene is essential, since it removes the white/yellow bad breath generating coating of bacteria, decaying food particles, fungi (such as Candida), and dead cells from the dorsal area of tongue. Tongue cleaning also removes some of the bacteria species which generate tooth decay and gum problems.

Gum care

Massaging gums with toothbrush bristles is generally recommended for good oral health. Flossing is recommended at least once per day, preferably before bed, to help prevent receding gums, gum disease, and cavities between the teeth.

Oral irrigation

Oral irrigators can reach 3-4 mm under the gum line, farther than toothbrushes and floss. However, the jet stream is not strong enough to remove all plaque and tartar. The procedure does leave a feeling of cleanliness and freshness, but does not disrupt as much plaque or bacteria as floss.

Oral hygiene

Exercises

1. Read the text quickly (1 min) and answer the

Question “What methods does oral hygiene include?”

2. Read more attentively. While reading find pronunciation and

A. Russian equivalents for 1. Plaque 2. Once/twice per day 3. Scaling 4. to prevent 5. fluoride 6. to decay 7. stuck 8. periodontologist 9. receding gums 10. oral irrigation

B. English equivalents for 1. чистить зубы (2) 2. проводить профилактику 3. личная гигиена полости рта 4. рекомендовать 5. налет 6. вид(ы) бактерий 7. зубная щетка 8. лечение 9. процедура

С. Find synonyms for 1. bad breath 2. to brush teeth 3. gently 4. gum problems 5. periodontics 6. stomatology 7. back area of the tongue 8. to disrupt bacteria

III. Translate

1. Гигиена полости рта предотвращает заболевания ротовой полости, например воспаление десен.

2. Уход за полостью рта включает чистку зубов (индивидуальную и профессиональную), языка , межзубного пространства, гигиену рта при помощи зубной нити, уход за деснами, промывание.

3. Зубы, как правило, чистят при помощи зубной щетки и пасты.

4. Профессиональная чистка зубов включает удаление зубного камня, полировку и хирургическую обработку раны.

5. Чистка межзубного пространства при помощи щетки более щадящий метод чем чистка зубной нитью.

6. Дурной запах изо рта – результат скопления бактерий и разлагающихся частиц пищи на языке и в зубах.

7. Правильный уход за деснами может предотвратить рецессию десны.

8. Правильная личная гигиена полости рта и санация полости рта дважды в год могут предотвратить заболевания ротовой полости, сердечнососудистой системы, эндокринной, дыхательной и т.п.