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Dental Caries (aka tooth decay or cavity) is the most prevalent disease in the world. People with dental caries suffer from results including but not limited to pain, tooth loss, decreased chewing function therefore poor diet, and infection. Tooth loss can also have other psycho-social effects causing people to be uncomfortable about their appearance.
This disease is initiated, most commonly, by bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans. Bacteria thrives in a sticky matrix called plaque. The best way to prevent this disease is by manually removing the bacteria and plaque from the tooth surface; thereby preventing the acid challenge from the bacteria that dissolves the tooth structure. It takes an average of twenty-four hours for a tooth surface to have damage from the bacteria sitting on it. Plaque removal is recommended in the morning and before bed.
There are populations that are unable to clean their teeth properly due to various disabilities. This can include loss of function in the hands or loss of dexterity. This can impair the person's ability to manually remove the bacteria causing tooth decay. Assisted devices can improve a persons ability to remove the bacteria and plaque matrix therefore preventing dental caries.
Devices that improve oral health should be tailored to the patient needing assistance and the barrier the patient experiences. Following are examples of ways to improve oral health for people needing assistance.
This disease is initiated, most commonly, by bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans. Bacteria thrives in a sticky matrix called plaque. The best way to prevent this disease is by manually removing the bacteria and plaque from the tooth surface; thereby preventing the acid challenge from the bacteria that dissolves the tooth structure. It takes an average of twenty-four hours for a tooth surface to have damage from the bacteria sitting on it. Plaque removal is recommended in the morning and before bed.
There are populations that are unable to clean their teeth properly due to various disabilities. This can include loss of function in the hands or loss of dexterity. This can impair the person's ability to manually remove the bacteria causing tooth decay. Assisted devices can improve a persons ability to remove the bacteria and plaque matrix therefore preventing dental caries.
Devices that improve oral health should be tailored to the patient needing assistance and the barrier the patient experiences. Following are examples of ways to improve oral health for people needing assistance.
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Signing UpStep 1Electric toothbrush
There are five sides of a tooth that need to be cleaned on a regular basis, the cheek side, tongue side, chewing surface, and the two surfaces that oppose other teeth or spaces. A tooth brush can effectively clean three of the five surfaces if used properly.
The electric tooth brush is a fantastic tool to help remove plaque from the tooth surface. It is designed to be held in place while the brush head turns thereby removing the sticky plaque from the tooth surface.
People with dexterity issues can find this useful. It is recommended to look at different products available. Things to look at when selecting an electric toothbrush are: weight, ease of depressing the power button, cost, and cost for replacement brush heads. Always select a brush with a timer to ensure the person is using the brush for a full two minutes in order to allow proper time for plaque removal. A pressure sensor is also a wonderful feature to consider because excessive force does not help clean teeth and instead can cause problems like receding gum tissue and premature erosion of the tooth surface.
The built in timer available on an electric tooth brush is separated into six units of time. These sections are to be broken into:
1- Upper right
2- Upper front
3- Upper left
4- Lower left
5- Lower front
6- Lower right
Be sure to put the brush on the cheek side, chewing surface, and tongue side of each sextant.
The electric tooth brush is a fantastic tool to help remove plaque from the tooth surface. It is designed to be held in place while the brush head turns thereby removing the sticky plaque from the tooth surface.
People with dexterity issues can find this useful. It is recommended to look at different products available. Things to look at when selecting an electric toothbrush are: weight, ease of depressing the power button, cost, and cost for replacement brush heads. Always select a brush with a timer to ensure the person is using the brush for a full two minutes in order to allow proper time for plaque removal. A pressure sensor is also a wonderful feature to consider because excessive force does not help clean teeth and instead can cause problems like receding gum tissue and premature erosion of the tooth surface.
The built in timer available on an electric tooth brush is separated into six units of time. These sections are to be broken into:
1- Upper right
2- Upper front
3- Upper left
4- Lower left
5- Lower front
6- Lower right
Be sure to put the brush on the cheek side, chewing surface, and tongue side of each sextant.
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