SMOKING AND GUM

Smoking may be responsible for more than half of the cases of periodontal disease among adults in this country.

          Tobacco use reduces the delivery of oxygen and nutrient to gingival tissue, impairs body defence mechanism making smokers more susceptible to infection like periodontal disease. In addition, following periodontal treatment or any type of oral surgery, the chemicals in tobacco can slow down the healing process and make the treatment result less predictable.

As a smoker, you are more likely than non-smokers to have the following problems:-

·        Oral cancer                  

·        Bad breath

·        Stained teeth

·        Tooth loss

·        Lose of taste

·        Less success with periodontal treatment

·        Less success with dental implants

·        Gum recession

·        Mouth sores

Quitting seems to gradually erase the harmful offeets of tobacco use on periodontal health.

Smoking causes 50% of gum disease. If you smoke >20 cigarrettes a day, risk of losing your teeth is very high. For the sake of your oral health, quit smoking or smoke  < 5 cigarrettes a day.

抽烟与牙周病

吸烟是引起牙周病的促进因素之一

烟草燃烧的热和积聚的产物是局部性刺激剂，使牙龈角化增加和牙面出现棕色柏油样沉积物，促进牙菌斑和牙石量增多，易诱发或加重牙周疾病。此外，吸烟可以使口腔粘膜形成白斑，长期含着烟在上，下唇间，会使口腔的灰白斑继续受高温的刺激，而出现皲裂和溃疡。经久不愈的溃疡，也是致癌的因素之一。

专家建议，吸烟对人体有百害而无一利，应立即戒烟或尽量少抽直到彻底戒掉。此外，一般情况下，正常人每半年或一年洗一次牙即可，对于吸烟者，最好三个月左右洗一次。定期洗牙，不仅清洁了牙齿，而且牙医在洗牙的同时又为洗牙者检查了一次牙齿，也便于及时发现问题及时治疗。

饭后十分钟，刷牙黄金时间

很多上班族都有一样的困扰，明明早晚都刷了牙，牙齿却还是蛀不停，尤其现在人工作忙碌，大部分都没有时间吃完东西立刻清洁牙齿，顶多只用清水漱口，但其实漱口并无法彻底牙齿上面的牙菌斑，顶多只能清洁一些食物残渣而已。

                                                                              

一般来说，吃完食物后的十分钟是牙齿保健的关键时期，因为此时口中的pH值由6.8降到 4.5，酸性达到高峰，此时若未立即清洁牙齿，这些酸性物质就会侵蚀牙齿表面的珐琅质，形成脱钙现象，造成蛀牙。

 

清除残渣酸性物质

因此医生建议把握‘黄金十分钟’原则，吃完东西10分钟内立即刷牙，避免食物残渣在口中产生酸性物质，便能有效降低蛀牙机率。

若吃完东西后，不方便立即刷牙，建议咀嚼无糖口香糖，这样不仅不会产生热量，也不会产生导致蛀牙的酸性物质，还可以刺激唾液分泌，加强唾液流量和速率，， 有利于清除牙面酸化和糖化食物残渣，中和口中酸性，对于口腔卫生及牙齿保健来说，非常方便有效。

让孩子有个快乐的看牙时光

                 在家做好心理准备

 就诊时，最好选择孩子精神状态较佳的时候，到了牙科诊所可以先让小朋友熟悉新的环境。三岁以上孩童的父母应扮演“旁观者”的角色，使牙医与孩子直接沟通

向牙痛的童年说再见

小朋友第一次看牙的经验非常重要。家长切记不要让孩子牙痛了才来看牙医，平常就要做好定期检查（半年一次），因为在牙痛时做任何治疗都会留下痛苦的经验。当你决定带着你的心肝宝贝首次到牙科检查时，应在家与孩子事先沟通，让小朋友了解牙齿的重要性与牙科检查的意义。

 

让孩子没有牙痛的童年

每一个小孩都是父母亲的心肝宝贝，没有一个父母愿意让自己的小孩有个牙痛的童年，当牵着他的小手走进牙科诊所时，大部分是既期待又害怕。我们希望父母及小孩走出牙科诊所时，是快快乐乐、高高兴兴的笑脸，且这辈子不再害怕上牙科诊所。

 

 

家长应扮演的角色

绝对不要告诉小朋友“一点也不痛”，而应换个语气说“可能会有一点不舒服，如果合作的话就较不会不舒服”。不要做任何承诺，例如：“今天不会拔牙”、“医生今天不会打针”。

不要妨碍牙医与孩童的直接沟通。不要过分保护你的孩子，过分的保护反而让小朋友失去学习与成长的机会。要相信牙医，即使牙医对你的孩子很凶，但出发点也是好的，不要不忍心或与牙医大吵一番。 

孩童就像一张白纸，对于牙科的认识也是一片空白，然而有意无意间，父母或周遭人物一些错误意念的引导，反而造成潜在的恐惧与忧虑。

COMMON ORAL CONDITIONS FOR ADULTS

 WHAT YOU CAN DO? 

TOOTH DECAY

1.   Have a look in your mouth regularly. Gently ‘lift your lip’ and look at your teeth near the gum line. You may see some early signs of tooth decay. Early decay may look like a white spot near the gum line. A dark spot may be decay or may be stain.

2.   Use fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily, especially before bedtime.

3.   Use floss or other special cleaning aids to clean between teeth.

4.   Make changes to your diet to reduce sugar intake

GUM DISEASE

1.   Self examination for signs of gum disease

1.   Where thorough plaque removal proves difficult, the use of mouthrinse may help prevent build up of plaque.

2.   A powered tooth brush may be of some special assistance for some people.

3.   Special aids (except floss) to help remove plaque between teeth include interdental brushes, floss holders and toothpicks.

TOOTHWEAR FROM TOOTHBRUSHING

1.   Always use a soft toothbrush.

2.   Use a gentle circular motion at the gum line.

3.   Always let your toothbrush do the work! You don’t need to apply pressure.

4.   The oscillating action of a battery-powered toothbrush can reduce the risk of abrasion that is caused by improper brushing action (scrubbing).

TOOTHWEAR FROM ACIDS

1.   You need to see your doctor if you suspect that you have gastric reflux.

2.   Do not brush your teeth after consuming acidic food or drinks. Wait at least 30 minutes.

3.   You may need additional fluoride protection if dental professional confirm you have dental erosion.

TOOTH SENSITIVITY

1.   Consult your dentist on the right brushing techniques.

2.   Brush your problem areas gently using a soft bristle toothbrush.

3.   Use desensitizing toothpaste which will soothe your teeth’s sensitive nerves.

ORAL HEALTH FOR ADULTS

Common oral conditions in adults can include:

1.   Tooth decay

2.   Gum disease

3.   Tooth wear

4.   Dry mouth

5.   Tooth sensitivity

TOOTH DECAY (CARIES)

The risk of tooth decay may be increased due to:

·         Dry mouth

·        Consuming too many sugary snacks or drinks

·        Inadequate of daily fluoride protection

Ineffectiveness of plaque removal

 

Obvious/well known tooth decay causes:

·       Candy/sweets.

·       Chocolate

·       Fizzy drinks and fruit juices

·       Biscuits/cookies

·       Ice cream

·       Jam/jelly

Decay in adults can be common around fillings and between teeth. A particular problem may be decay on the root surfaces of teeth when gum recedes. When gum recedes, teeth may appear longer, as the root of the tooth becomes more visible. 

 

GUM DISEASE

Gum disease is preventable by thoroughly removing plaque everyday, but daily habits can be disrupted when you are too busy or too stressed.

As plaque buildup in hard-to-reach places, they can penetrate below the gum line causing inflammation and ulcers.

Watch out the signs of gum disease:

·       Bleeding gums when brushing and flossing

·       Red, puffy gums

·       Bad breath

·       Bad taste in the mouth

·       Spongy, soft gums

·       Tenderness of gums

 

TOOTH WEAR FROM TOOTH BRUSHING

You can wear away (abrade) your teeth at the gum line by using a toothbrush that is too hard or by using a scrubbing action when brushing your teeth. This can also contribute to causing receding gums.

TOOTHWEAR FROM ACIDS

Acids can dissolve (erode) enamel off teeth. Often teeth that appear to be severely worn down have been affected by erosion. The acids that erode tooth enamel usually come from foods and drinks or from gastric reflux. The frequent need to use antacid products or a sour taste in your mouth may indicate that you have gastric reflux. 

 

Causes of erosion:

·       Frequency of acidic drinks or foods intake

·       Sipping orange juice frequently

·       Chewing vitamin C tablets

·       Frequent intake of soft drinks or energy drinks

·       The generous use of vinegar in foods

 

TOOTH SENSITIVITY 

A short, sharp pain felt when eating or drinking hot, cold, sweet or sour foods or drinks.

What causes tooth sensitivity?

When tooth enamel is lost or when gums recede, the inner layer of the tooth (called dentine) may be exposed. Dentine is made of thousands of microscopic tubus (tubules) that lead to the nerves deep inside the tooth. Cold, heat and sugar cause the fluid movement in the dentine, which stimulates nerves, and resulting in pain.

Exposed dentine may be result of:

·       Brushing too near the gums

·       Gum diseases

·       Abnormal grinding of teeth (bruxism)

·       Acid erosion of protective enamel

活动假牙

配戴假牙者必须注意五项要事:

1.为了避免细菌滋生而引起口腔黏膜炎症， 活动假牙应在刷牙时或每餐后取下刷洗干净，然后再戴入口腔。

2.晚上睡觉时，应将假牙取下用牙刷刷洗干净泡入凉开水中，避免用开水烫和酒精浸泡。这是为了使支撑假牙的黏膜得到充分的休息，同时避免睡梦中脱落发生意外。

3.学会假牙的正确摘戴方向。同时不要用力过大。戴义齿不要用牙咬和就位，以免卡环变形或义齿折断。

4.初戴假牙时，可能有黏膜压痛现象，甚至出现黏膜溃疡，应及时复诊调改。

如不能及时复诊，可暂时不戴。但在复诊前数小时必须戴上假牙，以便能准确找出压痛点，便于修改。

 

5.如感觉戴义齿后有不适的地方或义齿发生损坏或折断时，切

  忌自己动手修改，应及时到诊所处理.

  这样才能保证假牙有良好的功能，达到满意的修复效果。