JEDDAH, 20 June 2007 — Many people neglect oral hygiene, assuming it is not part of overall health. The mouth and teeth play an important role in the digestive process. Saliva contains enzymes that break down carbohydrates through proper chewing and teeth grind food for better digestion and absorption. Therefore, any problem with the oral cavity affects the digestive system and other organs as well as your smile.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), severe oral and periodontal (gum) disease have been associated with higher risk of heart disease, stroke, respiratory illnesses, fluctuating blood sugar, and pancreatic cancer, due to inflammatory cells traveling up the bloodstream and settling in organs, giving way to chronic diseases. Oral hygiene is essential to protect the teeth from decay, gums from inflammation, and oral cavity from infection; it ensures a healthy digestion and prevent oral infections and inflammation and inflammation-related diseases. Here are steps to teeth and gum care.
Oral hygiene involves proper daily teeth brushing, gargling, gentle gum massage, flossing, and tongue sweeping to remove plaque, bacteria, and food debris from teeth, tongue, and pockets as well as freshen breath. A soft tooth brush should be placed at an angle against the edge of teeth to brush gently to and fro and clean areas of teeth where the gums meet.
When you are done, move the brush along the outer and inner surfaces of teeth as well as chewing surfaces of molars. Try to massage the gums with gentle strokes. To add freshness to your breath, brush out the white thin film of bacteria on your tongue and gargle thoroughly until water is absolutely clear. In order to remove remnants of plaque around the gum line, you require proper flossing. Cut off about 40 cm of floss; wrap one end around one middle finger and the other end on the other middle finger, guiding the tightly stretched floss with your fore-finger in between the teeth with a gentle sweeping movement. Slowly slide the floss between the gums and tooth and sweep down the plaque and food particles. Empty pockets along the way and then move to the neighboring teeth until you reach the back molars, following the same steps.
To ensure cleanliness of teeth surfaces and baseline, I use the miswak (in Arabic), the root of the arak tree, Salvadora persica L., (it is available in the souk). It has antiseptic and astringent substances that clean and protect teeth and gums. A fresh good quality miswak has a potent pungent smell and taste. Its alkaline properties counteract oral acidic environments, which invite caries, plaque and gum recession and disease. Chemicals in miswak kill bacteria; protect against tooth decay and mouth ulcers; remove plaque; strengthen the gums; and refresh the breath. Prophet Mohammed used miswak and highly recommended its use before prayer to freshen the breath.
No matter how thorough your oral hygiene is, it is of paramount importance that you visit your dentist and dental hygienist annually for dental and periodontal (gum) check-up and to have deep dental cleaning and scaling.
Protecting your teeth from plaque and decay and your gums from periodontal disease prevents gum bleeding and inflammation that lead to bone loss and ligament damage, eventually contributing to tooth loss. You wouldn’t wish to have a toothless smile or dentures!
— Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected]. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.