The key to oral health lies not in expensive devices, but in simple and consistent daily habits. This was reported on December 4 in the journal Medical Xpress.
Nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer from oral diseases, including tooth decay and gum disease. Dental plaque remains the primary risk factor – which is why regular tooth brushing is considered a basic rule of prevention. However, the question of what constitutes “proper” brushing still sparks debate.
Dentist and periodontist Tim Thomassen analyzed the effectiveness of different types of toothbrushes, the impact of brushing duration, and the quality of instructions patients receive. The researcher combined dozens of international clinical studies into systematic reviews and conducted his own experiments.
He noted that the difference between technologies is significantly overestimated, and the real result depends primarily on human behavior: regularity, technique, and brushing time. According to him, expensive devices contribute far less to disease prevention than is commonly believed.
A comparison of manual and electric toothbrushes showed that electric models do indeed remove plaque better. However, the differences between the two main types of electric toothbrushes – oscillating-rotating and sonic – are minimal and do not play a role in everyday use. Thomassen stated that manufacturers should reorient their efforts from expensive innovations to accessible design and quality user training.
Toothbrushing recommendations remain standard: twice a day for two minutes. The dentist confirmed that this regimen is more effective than a one-minute brushing, and increasing the time to three minutes yields almost no additional benefit. In practice, most people, especially manual toothbrush users, brush for less time – averaging around 1.5 minutes. Owners of electric models are more likely to achieve the two-minute standard and even exceed it thanks to built-in timers, which contributes to more thorough plaque removal.
Periodontist, dentist, and REVIXAN company expert Anastasia Kardakova told “Izvestia” on November 18 about dangerous oral health symptoms. According to her, a thin coating on the tongue in the morning is normal: it appears due to dryness or food residue. However, if the coating is thick, curd-like, accompanied by burning and an unpleasant odor, it may indicate a fungal infection.
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