How to look after crowns and bridges

Crowns and bridges do not change colour, but this does not mean that they don’t need to be looked after. Poor oral hygiene will cause bacterial plaque to build overtime, which in turn can cause gum inflammation and other serious problems, like tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontitis.

Taking care of the crowns and bridges requires the same oral hygiene as taking care of your natural teeth. Regular brushing and flossing will keep plaque and bacteria from building up on your crowns. You should also avoid eating foods that are known to stain teeth, such as coffee, tea, red wine, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar or blueberries. If you do eat them, be sure to brush your teeth afterwards. You should also visit your dentist for regular cleanings and check-ups.

Check out this Instagram video how to correctly floss your teeth:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm_QnG_DK-_/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Good oral hygiene starts with flossing. Yes, it’s the dental floss that takes the first place here! Flossing prevents inflammation of the gums, allows for the removal of food debris and facilitates access to the interdental spaces for the subsequent toothbrush.

For tight spaces between your teeth and flossing under your bridges, we recommend Oral-B Superfloss and CURAPROX interdental brushes, available in a variety of sizes.

We have toothbrushes available to buy at our Materna Dental Clinic:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoXyDoWqkIN/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Every dentist will agree that we should brush our teeth regularly at least twice a day, for at least two minutes: 30 seconds for each quarter of your mouth.

It’s a good idea to start with the back teeth, which we often forget about, that is where most plaque accumulates. When brushing your teeth, slowly move to the front section. If you use a classic manual toothbrush, you should use the “Roll Method”, which means making rotational and sweeping movements. The Roll method, also known as the “gum-teeth” method, consists of making 4-6 movements in one place so that the brush head covers three adjacent teeth. Position the toothbrush at a 45° angle and “sweep” food debris from the gums to the incisal edge of the tooth.

For those who are looking for a safe and convenient solution, we recommend sonic toothbrushes. Sonic toothbrushes position the brush head with bristles in a sweeping and pulsating motion, resulting in more effective plaque removal. The fibres work at a high frequency, producing sound waves that penetrate the mixture of toothpaste and saliva and form microbubbles. These, in turn, hit the surface of the tooth and remove plaque with greater effectiveness compared to classic toothbrushes. Sonic toothbrushes do most of the work for us, making as much as 32,000 to 96,000 movements per minute. All you have to do is simply slowly move the head over the surface of the teeth and the sonic toothbrush will do the rest.

Modern design, built-in timer, several operating modes and interchangeable heads are just a few of the advantages of the sonic toothbrush. Compared to an electric toothbrush, a sonic toothbrush is gentler and therefore safer for your enamel and gums.

Remember that more important than choosing a toothbrush is the regular brushing and discipline. Toothpaste and mouthwash should be chosen individually according to your preferences and needs.

You can read more about toothpaste and mouthwashes on our blog.

The tongue is made up of various shaped papillae – small structures that give it its characteristic rough texture. This specific irregular surface makes the tongue an ideal place for bacteria and fungi to accumulate. Most of them do not pose a threat to our health, but when accumulated in excessive amounts on the tongue and gums, they can lead to the formation of thrush, canker sores, inflammation and, above all, bad breath. The best preventive solution is to clean the tongue with a special scraper. Place the scraper with its flat part to the base of the tongue and pull it several times towards its tip using a sweeping motion. We strongly advise against cleaning your tongue with the same toothbrush as brushing your teeth. This triggers a gag reflex and only spreads the bacteria deeper into the mouth.

Brushing alone is not enough, it is necessary to use a water flosser. Also called pressure washer, it pumps water under pressure and allows you to remove bacterial plaque and thoroughly clean the spaces between your teeth and areas below the gum line. It is an excellent solution for the care of dental prostheses like crowns, bridges and implants. Water flosser guarantees proper cleaning of hard-to-reach areas but does not exclude the use of dental floss and interdental brushes.

Water flossers are completely safe and easy to use. The tip of the water flosser should be placed at the level of the gum line and slowly moved from the back teeth forward, following the gum line with the mouth closed. The water jet should be directed at a 90-degree angle to the gum line. The water flosser should be used after each brushing, especially in the evening, before going to bed.

Before buying, it is worth checking which irrigator is best for you. There are many brands on the market that offer mains-powered stationary irrigators with a larger water tank, which can work well for a large family. On the other hand, cordless or battery-powered irrigators will work well for people who travel a lot. It is also worth paying attention to the number of different tips (such as: classic, periodontologic, orthodontic, for prosthetic crowns and bridges, for implants, for tongue washing) and the feature of gradual regulation of water pressure.

In order to clean the crowns even more effectively, we can add hydrogen peroxide to the irrigator’s container (a small amount in a ratio of 1:10 water is enough).

Check out the hygienisation procedure of a patient with braces:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ComtMm3KA6M/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Hygienization is a professional cleaning of teeth by a dentist or dental hygienist.

Hygienization involves the elimination of tartar and bacterial plaque, which promote tooth decay and periodontitis. During hygienisation treatment, the dental hygienist will perform ultrasonic scaling and sandblasting of the teeth and will instruct you in proper oral hygiene. Hygienization should be performed every 6 months or more often if you have a tendency to tartar build-up

Even very thorough oral hygiene does not guarantee that diseases will not develop, therefore you should see your dentist for a check-up at least once a year. During this visit, the dentist will interview the patient and perform an oral examination to assess the condition of the teeth and gums. Your dentist will be able to detect any abnormalities early and will recommend appropriate treatment.

One of the most important factors reducing the effectiveness of treatment is ignoring medical recommendations. Reporting alarming symptoms too late and ignoring or modifying the doctor’s recommendations can only lead to more problems and deterioration of our overall health. Dental treatments or therapy require regularity, patience and discipline.

Strict adherence to medical recommendations is one of the most important factors determining the success of therapy.