6NightlyStepsToDentalHygiene

6 Nightly Steps to Dental Hygiene

Above is a 2011 assignment piece - in response to a College of Southern
Nevada art course Drina took from professor Alfonso Lirani. The
instructions were to do an advertisement. Drina's first college was
becoming a dental hygienist, so she knows dental hygiene. While working
as a dental hygienist, Drina then worked herself through more college,
majoring in psychology.
     Periodontal disease is the second most common disease of humans.
(#1The most prevalent disease is the common cold is ).
Loss of teeth in one spot leads to problems with the opposing teeth , and
eventually the loss of more teeth. Appearance and digestion changes as
cheeks sink in and food isn't chewed or enjoyed as much. Wearing
dentures causes a whole set of other discomforts as well as wearing away
the bone ridge, over years, making it harder to keep dentures in place.
I hope people realize that brushing and flossing isn't enough to completely
remove dental plaque thereby staving off gingivitis. Gingivitis is the first
stage of the periodontal disease.   People with gingivitis have inflamed
gum tissue around their teeth. If there is any bleeding- it's likely to be
gingivitis. When the tissue bleeds it starts to recede as it tries to get away
(as it were) from the bacteria and "gunk" found in dental plaque. If it
bleeds it needs more stimulation and removal of the film to heal it.
Leaving it alone just keeps the disease progressing.
Get rid of all the plaque - that soft, sticky film which contains bacteria and
forms constantly on the teeth and gums- and you get rid of the problem.
(Gingiva is the non-layperson word for gums). If you wait for your twice a
year cleaning, the soft film usually also hardens to form calculus - and
further hurries receding gums and disease.
Nightly doing each of these 6 steps combined gets rid of that insideous
slime and "calculus". For years I brushed well, used a water irrigator,
flossed, and swished and held mouthwash in my mouth. Still when I was
in my late 30's there were pockets of periodontal disease.   It wasn't until I
incorporated ALL these 6 steps that my dentist noticed complete
remission. Yes, it does take about 15 minutes nightly, so I just do the teeth
I want to save. YES, I do them ALL.
The morning ritual for me is quick and simple: my battery powered
toothbrushing and I hold a capful of peroxide in my teeth area and mouth
for a couple of minutes as it seems to do a good job of sweetening the
breath and making my teeth white for my age. I don't eat or drink for
about 15 minutes after using mouthwash or peroxide.

Step 1. Battery powered toothbrushes feel good and make the job easier. I use Oral B battery
powered. (about 2 minutes)

Step 2. Use a good water powered irrigator to flush out more food particles and bacteria; also
helps stimulate gums. Work up to the highest setting. ((about 45 seconds)

Step 3. Scale away plaque. I use a scaler or dull "explorer". (This takes the longest to scrape
carefully slightly under the gumline on the inside and outside of the teeth and grab even more of the
slime. 5-8 minutes)

Step 4. Floss. I use Glide (1-2 minutes) Your hygienist will show you how to manipulate the string if
you need more instruction.

Step 5. My "hummingbird" Oral B stimulator vibrates and even finds spots that need more than
steps 1-4 accomplish. I place it for 1 second on the side of each tooth. ( It takes less than a minute.
The tips need replacing, but there's nothing wrong with using each tip until it won't work)

Step 6. Finish with an antibacterial mouthwash that tastes good to you. By using a side delivering
tip on a "pocket" irrigator, I place the mouthwash right where it needs to go---under the gumline. I
use Therasol. (almost 1 minute)