One day, a young girl came to the clinic to see a doctor. She had big watery eyes and was dressed in fashion, but there was no smile on her face, and she was wearing a mask.
I thought at first: Maybe the girl has a toothache and a swollen face, and she doesn’t want to be seen. When the girl opened her mouth, I was quite surprised.
She said aggrieved: “Doctor, I don’t wear a mask because my face is swollen, but I have severe bad breath in my mouth. My friends don’t want to chat with me, so they hide from me. It makes me very distressed. I also checked the Internet and said that there may be bad breath caused by dental calculus, and I need to clean my teeth. But I heard that tooth cleaning will cause tooth soreness, and there will be gaps between the teeth, which will damage the teeth. Doctor , what should I do?”
I have met many patients in the clinic, all of whom have the same confusion as this girl. Today we will talk about the “rights and wrongs” of dental calculus and scaling.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
1. Why does dental calculus cause bad breath
The formation of dental calculus is due to the long-term retention of liquid and food residues in the gingival sulcus, causing bacteria to aggregate to form plaque, which then interacts with the saliva in the mouth and the mineral salts in the gingival crevicular fluid. Gradually deposit together, forming a plaque deposit on the surface of the tooth. Since it has not been cleaned for many years, relatively large pieces of dental calculus are formed.
Dental calculus contains many pathogenic bacteria that break down food waste and produce gas that causes bad breath.
In addition, calculus can also press on the gum tissue and absorb bacteria, causing red and swollen gums, bleeding gums, gingivitis and periodontitis. These diseases can also cause bad breath and even teeth. Loose and fall off. In addition, dental calculus will hinder the maintenance of oral hygiene and aggravate the phenomenon of bad breath, which can be said to make matters worse.
Therefore, people who have a lot of dental calculus in their mouths often have severe bad breath, and their friends are naturally reluctant to be close to them… Even if you have a good appearance, you can’t stand it. The smell in the mouth!
Second, what is ultrasonic cleaning?
Ultrasonic scaling can remove these plaque microorganisms and calculus, so scaling can prevent gingivitis, periodontitis and bad breath.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
The principle of the ultrasonic scaler is to remove dental calculus, plaque microorganisms and soft scale through the high-frequency oscillation of the working head.
The working head sprays water while ultrasonically oscillating, and the water is sprayed into the working head and the tooth surface in a mist. On the one hand, it can cool the working head, on the other hand, it can wash away the calculus and plaque, and wash away the crushed calculus and blood dirt. Therefore, ultrasonic cleaning is time-saving and labor-saving, and the antibacterial effect is very good.
Third, will scaling hurt the teeth and periodontal tissue?
Many friends feel that their teeth are “sour” after cleaning their teeth, or they feel that there are obvious gaps between the teeth after cleaning, which affects the appearance. But in fact this is only a temporary phenomenon.
Tooth sour after teeth cleaning is due to gingivitis and even periodontitis of the patient itself, and there is gingival recession. After cleaning your teeth, the tooth tissue (such as the neck and roots) is exposed, and you will feel tooth acid at this time. Therefore, tooth acid is not caused by scaling, but caused by the patient’s own periodontal disease.
The gap between teeth or loose teeth after cleaning is also due to the patient’s own periodontitis, and the dental calculus fills the gap between the teeth. Once the calculus is removed, the unsightly gaps between the teeth will be exposed, making the teeth appear “loose”.
Also, scaling does not overly remove the dentin and cementum from the teeth. As long as the cleaning method is correct, it will not damage the teeth and periodontal tissue, and it is very safe.
On the whole, there are many benefits of teeth cleaning. It can prevent periodontal disease, and you can also do an oral examination by the way. After cleaning the teeth, the calculus and pathogenic microorganisms in the mouth will be reduced, the teeth will be clean, and the breath will be fresher. As the popular saying goes, it is “cleaning your teeth for a while, and cleaning your teeth all the time.”
Of course, scaling your teeth is not a one-time thing. It is recommended that you do an ultrasonic cleaning every six months to a year, and at the same time conduct a routine oral examination. If you stick to this good habit, if you take care of it properly, you will still have good teeth when we are seventy or eighty years old. kind of food.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Four other ways to deal with bad breath
In addition to cleaning your teeth, the following methods can also help you deal withBad breath:
Rinse your mouth with a chlorhexidine-containing mouthwash (this drug can control plaque and play a role in treating bad breath to some extent);
Brush your teeth morning and night, and use mint-flavored toothpaste to freshen your breath;
Use dental floss, interdental brushes, and other aids to remove plaque and unmineralized calculus from dead spots on the teeth.
In the long run, keep cleaning your teeth carefully and you can keep your breath fresh for a long time.
Of course, there are many reasons for bad breath. In addition to dental calculus and poor oral hygiene, it may also be caused by other oral lesions, or even lesions in other parts of the body (such as gastric Helicobacter pylori infection). of.
Those with bad breath should not be negligent, it is best to go to the hospital for a detailed examination.
*The content of this article is for the popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment suggestion, nor can it replace the face-to-face consultation of a licensed physician, and is for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Dictionary. Unauthorized reprinting by media is prohibited. Illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.