A well-cared-for mouth is an inseparable part of a healthy relationship. For a well-cared-for mouth, acquiring the habit of brushing teeth is critically important… Emphasizing that this habit should be acquired as early as possible, Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay points out that tooth brushing should start from the moment the first baby tooth appears in the mouth. Underlining the importance of parents being role models, Günay also stresses that brushing should have become a habit by the age of 8-10.
A well-cared-for mouth is an inseparable part of a healthy relationship!
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay, Dean of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Dentistry, made an assessment on the importance of oral and dental care in a statement made due to the current Oral and Dental Health Week.
Teeth are one of our most important organs…
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay, emphasizing that teeth are one of the important vital organs and therefore the importance of protecting dental and oral health, stated that teeth have an important role not only in our nutrition but also in speech, communication, and social life.
A well-cared-for mouth is an inseparable part of a healthy relationship…
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay said, “It is important in emphasizing our facial expressions and reflecting our character. Another role that should not be overlooked is the meaning a healthy, meticulously cared-for tooth expresses about our identity. One can also talk about a role that reinforces our identity as a person who takes care of themselves, takes others and society seriously in relationships with others or society, and respects them. As social beings, the information our teeth convey about our personality in our relationships with society is very important. A well-cared-for mouth has begun to be considered an inseparable part of a healthy relationship today. This situation is pleasing.”
Brushing disrupts the comfort of microbes…
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay, referring to the importance of dental care, noted that it is very important to remove residual food particles. He said, “Because these residues are used as culture media by the microbes in our mouths, multiplying rapidly; with the toxins they secrete, they play a destructive role on our tooth enamel, gums, and the spaces between the tooth and the gum. By brushing our teeth, we remove the comfort zones and shelters of microbes from the mouth.”
Dental cleaning was done with different materials in the past
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay stated that tooth brushing practices have also been observed throughout human history, and added, “It is seen that various materials, such as fibrous branches, plants, and miswak, were used throughout human history to achieve this purpose of cleaning teeth.”
Brushing should start with the baby tooth…
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay, stating that the habit of brushing teeth should be acquired as early as possible, said, "Sometimes the habit of brushing teeth starts after a person experiences a very destructive experience related to their teeth. Due to the situation arising after the loss, extraction, or sudden loss of multiple teeth, people regret and start brushing their teeth. The main brushing habit needs to be acquired according to a specific program from a very young age. Brushing habits should start from the moment the first baby tooth appears in the mouth.”
Habit can be instilled in a theatrical way
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay, stating that parents have an important role in instilling the habit of brushing teeth, recommended that parents, perhaps as a family ritual, gather in front of the mirror with their children and brush their teeth together in a fun, theatrical show.
Günay said that the tooth brushing habit could also establish itself over time as a process involving various levels of perception, such as having prettier and cleaner teeth, preventing pain, and understanding the concept of health, as the child's perception of the world diversifies.
It should become a habit by 8-10 years of age
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay stated, “Ultimately, from the age of 8-10, it transforms into a life habit where one can brush their teeth and feels the necessity to brush them upon waking up in the morning or going to bed at night, feeling uneasy if they don't.”
Early intervention can prevent traumas
Prof. Dr. Yumuşhan Günay, pointing out that many variables play a role in the formation of a cavity and therefore the importance of regular dental check-ups, concluded his words as follows:
“From time to time, a child's teeth should be checked by a specialist, or at least by the parents. If any discoloration, cavity, or similar issue is encountered on the tooth, it is very important to take it to a specialist. The cheapest and psychologically least traumatic intervention is the earliest intervention. A cavity caught at its onset can be largely prevented with a very small instrument intervention, sometimes even with just a filling without using any instruments. Follow-up is essential to compensate with very simple interventions without letting the problem escalate or neglecting it.”