The Tribune

By DR SPARKMAN FERGUSON

SUCCESSFUL care for the mouth all boils down to cleansing. This is as true for a healthy mouth as it is for an unhealthy mouth.

• What is mouth cleansing?

Mouth cleansing is that twice daily process of brushing the teeth and gums, flossing between the teeth and gums, brushing the tongue, swabbing mouth tissues and rinsing the mouth.

• Brushing the teeth and gums

I probably brushed like most people do up to the age of 21. I then became a dental student and discovered that I had it all wrong. I was brushing according to my own technique, and not a prescribed one. I am also sure that this is the case with most people, who like me at 21, did not have any proper brushing training. This training could only have taken place with the instruction of trained dental professionals.

The following is one of a few correct cleansing techniques for adults:

• With a soft toothbrush and toothpaste, brush with a sawing motion on the biting surfaces of all back teeth.

• Place toothbrush on the upper gums and brush downwards on to the teeth all around the mouth on the roof side, and then the cheek side.

• Place toothbrush on the bottom gums and brush upwards on to the teeth all around the mouth on the tongue side, and then the cheek side.

• Flossing between the teeth and gums The best mouth cleansers floss everyday of the year. Everyone else is trying to be like them. We in the dental profession have found that even regular dental patients refuse to floss daily. Apparently, this is an easy task that has become a difficult one for most. The technique is simple. Take 12 inches of floss, wrap the floss around the fingers of each hand, slide between the teeth, rotate floss around a couple times between each two teeth, then pull out.

• Brushing the tongue

The tongue carries most of the mouth odors. During cleansing, with your soft toothbrush and toothpaste, make circular motions on the tongue, or stroke back and forth with the toothbrush on the entire tongue surface.

• Swabbing the mouth tissues

During cleansing, take your toothbrush and swab the roof of the mouth, the inner cheeks, and the soft tissues everywhere else.

• Rinsing the mouth

Rinsing the mouth is the final stage of cleansing. If the mouth was cleansed and not rinsed, the process would still be incomplete. Some persons prefer a mouthwash at the conclusion of the cleansing process. This is optional.

• Conclusion

The mouth cleansing for adults is paramount, and the only thing known that staves off gingivitis (mild gum disease) and periodontitis (advanced gum disease). Mouth cleansing is the same whether you use a manual toothbrush or a battery operated one. The floss used can be waxed floss, or unwaxed floss.

In every case however, this home mouth cleansing takes around five minutes to accomplish.

Persons performing mouth cleansings under five minutes are likely short-changing the process and are probably not doing the very best cleansing job that they can.