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At 03:25 PM 1/10/99 +1300, David MacClement wrote:
>Donna; I don't remember anyone answering your first question to Pos.Futures:
>
>At 19:26 5/01/99 -0600, Donna <donna@petronet.net> wrote:
>>What then is the proper way to brush one's teeth to avoid decay?
>
> I guess I thought Arnie would come back to you on this. What I >can tell
you may be different from the method he was given.
Sorry if I let you down, Donna.
I think David has covered this very well. His explanation is very much
like the advice I got from the Uni. dental graduate section.
> Besides filling all (including potential) cavities, the Ottawa dentist
got me to practice a method of using a brush intended to >protect against
gum disease, the main risk in his view.
>
> (1) I was to use a very soft brush.
>
> (2) the bristles were to be agitated slightly, but the main >thing was to
push them against the tooth surface so that they bent >and slid down the
tooth to the line where the gum is attached to the >tooth.
I would add here that as one lightly rotates the bristles over the teeth
and gums one should move the soft bristles UP from the gums while pressing
firmly against the gums and teeth. This way the bristles get between the
teeth at the gum level and the brush brings any food `up and out'. The gum
protection in may case was the important part of the care and I CANNOT make
my gums bleed no matter how had I press. And I don't even have to heed the
caution about the floss "cutting my gums". I spend about 10 minutes with
this procedure after my last meal at night. I rarely brush at any other
time and I'm told by people (family members) that I do not have halitosis!
Some of the info, or reinforcement, I got at the college where dental
hygenists (sp?) trained. I used to go there for low-cost, well supervised
cleaning. It took a LONG TIME but my teeth were REALLY CLEAN after the visit.
> (3) the brushing was to last until every tooth (and inter-tooth >gap) had
been brushed. Never skimped.
>
by whether the gums are pink not red, and whether any blood comes >when
you brush.
>
Thanks, David for making it easy for me to complete this description. I
guess it was my `job' since I started it :-) .
Arnie