Edit: Sake of clarity, I suffer from a litany that all impact executive functions. As much as I regret to admit it, the extent of my personal hygiene is making sure my hair don’t dry Tf out or get too oily, and making sure I don’t smell like shit. Bare minimum. I’m an unkempt and wild looking person, which makes people tend to avoid me; which I personally don’t mind at all. However I’m fully aware that I have many issues which need working on. They’re holding me back in many ways, neglecting my body and my living space even worse. Didn’t mean to give a sob story lol, just to explain as to why I have issues like this.
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Dental hygienist here! I’m going to do some pertinent bullet points for everyone:
-Plaque: soft microscopic bacteria that has colonized (come together) to the point where it can be seen/felt. Bacteria causes infection. That’s why gums bleed. Bleeding is NOT a result of you mutilating yourself brushing/flossing – it is bacterial infection. Plaque takes 4 to 12 hours to form.
-Calculus: nope, not math. Also known as tartar. If plaque is left undisturbed for approximately 24 to 72 hours the minerals in your saliva invade it and harden it. This hardened buildup is porous and holds more bacteria. It must be professionally removed. It is NOT safe to use dental tools at home to remove it, as you can cause damage to your root surfaces. Having calculus buildup means that no matter how much you clean, bacteria will still be sitting in those areas until you get it professionally removed. If you’re getting calculus build up it means that you’re not reaching that area with your toothbrush/floss.
-Gingivitis: REVERSIBLE gum infection from plaque bacteria. It is reversible by cleaning up the bacterial infection with good home care. Reversible infection does not cause bone loss around the tooth.
-Periodontal disease: “perio” IRREVERSIBLE gum disease, bone loss is present. Once you have periodontal disease it can only be managed, not cured. The bone around your teeth is what holds your teeth in your face, the more you lose the more foundation the tooth loses, the harder to keep things clean, and the more likely you get tooth loss in the future.
-Gingivitis is the first warning sign that you’re on your way to periodontal disease. Calculus speeds you towards periodontal disease.
-How will you know if you have cleaned up the bacterial infection? You will go from having lots of bleeding and lots of sensitivity, to less bleeding and less sensitivity, and then no bleeding and no sensitivity.
-Flossing is only effective if done CORRECTLY. If you cannot or are unwilling to floss correctly (there are great YouTube videos!) then a waterpik, used at highest pressure that you can stand, is an alternative – not a replacement.
-Tooth loss in old age is not something that naturally happens. It is a result of gum disease that has had years to progress. It is not “natural” or “normal”.
Feel free to DM me any questions! This is my passion.
Disclaimer: I have simplified a lot of these things to make them easier to understand for the general public.
Edit to add this:
She covers it perfectly except I would like to add that you should do the up and down motion on the side of each tooth at least 3x. Remember she said that the seesaw is only to get in and out of the teeth, it doesn’t do any cleaning.
Doesn’t matter how you hold your floss, do what works for you.
Too much floss is far better than too little. Too little and you can’t even hold onto it. The length of your forearm is a good gauge.
Studies show that it’s only the technique that matters, they tested multiple types of flosses and no one was better than the other. Use what you like! Coco floss is my favorite. Although that’s bougie as hell.
Plaque builds up around the gums. Plaque is bacteria, which your body wants to fight. It fights bacteria by sending blood to the area. This is the foundation of inflammation, which is what gingivitis is.
-a dentist
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With the additional bacteria in your mouth, your body reacts by making your blood vessels more leaky to allow white blood cells from your immune system to leave the blood and go to the gums. Since they are leaky, any manipulation to them also squeezes out some blood. Once your teeth are clean and bacteria gone, your blood vessels seal up and won’t leak blood.
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Hey, fellow depressed neurodivergent here. Twice a day is ideal, right after you wake up and right before bed. Flossing is of course preferred, but celebrate baby steps. Go for once a day, then flossing after, then brushing twice a day. I went from not brushing at all to brushing twice a day like this. Keep a travel set and a bottle of water by your bed for your worse days.
Don’t beat yourself up, a lot of people with mental illness struggle with this even though we don’t talk about it.
I’m sorry for the judgment you’ve gotten in this thread, some people love to kick others whole they’re down and you don’t deserve that
My gums would bleed when I brushed, and my dentist told me I had the beginning of periodontal disease. I had not gone in for a cleaning for a very long time (like a decade) because of money problems. She told me after a while the tartar hardens so you cannot remove it with a brush, and it acts like a splinter in your gums, irritating them and making them separate from your tooth. The only way to remove the plaque is by getting a cleaning from the hygienist.
If your gums bleed often it would be a good idea to see a dentist for a cleaning. They have a lot of different ways they can clean and repair your gums so that they don’t bleed anymore.
Same. I know if people knew my personal hygiene they would be appalled. I know the struggle of doing simple personal hygiene things. Just know you are not alone and don’t beat yourself up over it. You made it to today and tomorrow is going to be fine, you got this!
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