October 22, 2024, 3:37 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
If you want to have healthy teeth and visit the dentist as rarely as possible, you should pay attention to your oral and dental hygiene. Dentist Dr. Anne Heinz explains what is particularly important and what a perfect routine looks like.
Which toothbrush is the best choice? Should you use toothpaste with fluoride or opt for fluoride-free? Dr. Anne Heinz provides insights on these queries. She explains optimal dental care. Acknowledging that proper dental care is time-consuming and challenging to do perfectly, the expert recommends regular professional cleanings.
Overview
“The right toothbrush and toothpaste are important
FITBOOK: What is part of daily dental care?
Dr. Anne Heinz: “When it comes to daily dental care, it is particularly important to use the right toothbrush. This can be very individual. Some people prefer a manual toothbrush, others prefer an electric one. I’m a big fan of the electric toothbrush because it makes it much, much easier to achieve a great result. A second important component of healthy dental care is toothpaste. Here, too, there are differences, and everyone has to find out for themselves what suits them best. Some people prefer to brush with fluoride; others are better off brushing without fluoride. Here, too, the right product is simply tailored to the individual. And to complete your dental care routine and make it perfect, you should use dental floss every day. There are also differences here: waxed and unwaxed dental floss.”
“We dentists advise against mouthwash”
Is it good to use mouthwash every day
“Mouthwash tends to change the oral flora in a negative way. That’s why we, as dentists, advise against it. And there are many studies that now prove this. However, there are exceptions, for example, in the case of gum inflammation or after an operation. In these cases, it can make sense to use a certain mouthwash for a certain period of time.”
For whom fluoride is important – and for whom it is not
Fluoride in toothpaste – should you avoid it or not?
“Well, in my heart, I always say, there are two parts. On the one hand, there’s the eco-aunt who is against fluoride, but on the other hand, there’s the scientist. And if we start from the scientific point of view, there are numerous studies that prove that fluoride is extremely effective in protecting against tooth decay. On the other hand, there is also isolated evidence that fluoride can be harmful. Whether the doses are actually achieved is often the question and the point of criticism from fluoride critics. In other words, here, too, everyone has to find their own way. But my opinion is that if you manage to eat a healthy diet that is as low in sugar as possible – perhaps you even manage to avoid sugar completely – then it is perfectly legitimate to use natural preparations that do not contain fluoride. But do you have a child, for example, who eats a lot of sweets, which is unavoidable at nursery or with grandparents? Or maybe you have a sweet tooth yourself? Then I would recommend using fluoride in your toothpaste to prevent cavities from forming.”
Which ingredient should my toothpaste never contain?
“In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about which ingredients in toothpaste are safe and which are not. Where we are very, very sure these days is that we know that titanium dioxide is a substance that we should avoid. It is used to color toothpaste. So it doesn’t even have a medical benefit, but actually only colors the toothpaste. And that’s why it’s okay to do without it.”
Don’t rinse or drink anything after brushing your teeth
How long should you not drink anything after brushing your teeth?
“It’s best not to drink anything for 30 minutes after brushing your teeth, provided you’ve brushed with a toothpaste that contains certain active ingredients such as fluoride. So, if you use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, it’s great if these active ingredients can continue to work on your teeth for a certain amount of time. However, if you use an organic tooth powder without fluoride, for example, you can drink something straight afterward.”
Should you rinse your mouth with water after brushing your teeth?
“If you use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, for example, you want this active ingredient to remain on your teeth for as long as possible. It is, therefore, better to just spit it out. However, if you have a natural preparation without any active ingredients such as fluoride, you can also rinse your mouth.”
Advocating for professional teeth cleaning
Is professional teeth cleaning really necessary?
“Even as a dentist, I don’t manage to clean my teeth 100 percent perfectly and therefore have to have my teeth professionally cleaned every three to six months to ensure that everything is really spotlessly clean. I can imagine that there are people who have incredibly good oral hygiene and who theoretically wouldn’t need professional teeth cleaning, e.g., medical professionals. However, the reality shows us that there are very few of these people, and it therefore makes sense to get some help. My clear statement is: go for a check-up every six months and then decide on an individual basis. Are there any weak points? Where can you clean better? A lot of people will have weak points, and they should have their teeth professionally cleaned.”
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The ideal dental care routine
What is the ideal dental care routine?
“There is a certain dental care routine that takes a lot of time. But I want to mention it anyway for the sake of completeness. Ideally, the dental care routine starts with cleaning the tongue. This means you have a tongue scraper or, alternatively, simply a large spoon and use it to clean your tongue once before you have your first drink of the day. Then, you can do oil pulling. It has also been scientifically proven that oil pulling is particularly healthy for the gums, e.g., with virgin coconut oil. Once the oil pulling has been done for 15 minutes, you can start flossing. This means cleaning the interdental spaces, i.e., the areas between the teeth, once. Then you grab the toothbrush and toothpaste and ideally brush for two minutes, sometimes a little longer, to get all areas really tiptop clean.”