[Protecting teeth and keeping healthy is a strong youth, a healthy China is a prosperous nation. Series of popular science on oral health 1] Oral health management throughout the life cycle

The results of the fourth national oral health epidemiological survey released in 2017 showed that the prevalence of caries in primary teeth of 5-year-old children and permanent teeth of the elderly in China was 70.9% and 98% respectively, and the periodontal health and oral hygiene of the middle-aged and elderly population were poor. " Oral health, whole body health " is not just a simple slogan, nor can it be achieved overnight. It needs to be implemented in daily actions. In order to have a healthy mouth and white teeth throughout the life cycle, oral health management from birth is essential.

Throughout our lives, we need both a healthy body and a healthy mouth. Food is the primary need of the people. The oral cavity is the first checkpoint of the digestive tract and respiratory tract. Its health is related to the health of the whole body. On the occasion of the 34th National Love Teeth Day, let us " pay attention to oral hygiene and live a happy life ".

Oral health maintenance at each stage of life has its own characteristics, and the maintenance methods at different stages are different. Today, this article will show you how to manage and maintain oral health throughout the life cycle .

Oral care during pregnancy

The mother's overall nutrition is closely related to the growth and development of the fetus. She should pay attention to the proper intake of nutrition, supplement vitamins, folic acid and minerals, etc. Try to avoid illness, medication and high-dose radiation exposure in early pregnancy, which are unfavorable to the health of the fetus. Therefore, when preparing for pregnancy, the mother should take the initiative to receive oral health and overall health examinations, and deal with related hidden dangers in a timely manner; during pregnancy, the mother should have an oral examination every three months to reduce the pain and discomfort caused by oral diseases on the mother, which may affect the adverse development of the fetus.

Neonatal oral health management within 1 month after birth

The oral mucosa of newborns is thin and tender. If it is not properly cared for, for example, some parents damage the oral mucosa when wiping the baby's mouth with gauze dipped in water, it will not only easily cause oral diseases and affect oral health, but also easily lead to digestive tract and systemic diseases, damaging overall health. Therefore, during this period, mothers who breastfeed should pay attention to keeping the nipples clean, and those who feed artificially should pay attention to the cleanliness of the nipples, the appropriate milk temperature, and the proper feeding method. Do not use rubber nipples to push the baby's oral mucosa. Let the baby drink a small amount of warm water to clean the mouth after feeding.

Clean the pacifier

Oral health management from 1 to 6 months before the eruption of deciduous teeth

For babies under 3 months old, you can use a cotton swab dipped in warm water (moisten 2/3 of the cotton swab) to wipe the cheeks, gums, and tongue inside the baby's mouth; for babies over 3 months old, you can use a soft silicone cleaning tool or wrap gauze around your fingers to wipe the gums. You also need to drink clean water to clean your mouth after each breastfeeding.

Wipe the mucous membrane with a cotton swab

Wipe the mucous membrane with gauze wrapped around your finger

Oral health management during the primary dentition period from 6 months to 6 years old

During this period, it is important to maintain the health of deciduous teeth . For infants under 2 years old, after the deciduous teeth grow out, parents should use a toothbrush or gauze wrapped around fingers and dipped in warm water to gently wipe the deciduous teeth and gums to remove food residues and dental plaque. Do this from top to bottom and from outside to inside, and never miss the tooth surface. Do this once in the morning and evening, and at night after the last feeding. After each breastfeeding, you also need to drink clean water to clean your mouth to prevent milk from staying in your mouth for a long time and causing tooth decay.

Finger toothbrush for cleaning teeth

For children over 2 years old, parents can take advantage of their imitative nature or show them some toothbrushing animations and picture books to make education fun. They can start demonstrating and urging their babies to brush their teeth. They can also guide their babies to practice gargling with light salt water to help them develop a good habit of brushing and gargling. Choose a toothbrush and toothpaste specifically for children. For babies under 3 years old, you only need to let them master these movements. Brushing requires the help of parents. During this period, parents are recommended to use the circular brushing method.

In addition, check your baby's oral condition regularly to detect tooth decay and uneven teeth as early as possible for early intervention. It is recommended to go to a specialist hospital for local fluoride application every 3 months to 6 months to enhance the tooth's ability to prevent caries.

——For details, please see the chapter “Protecting healthy teeth makes youth strong, a healthy China makes the nation prosperous – Oral health management for preschool children”.

Fluoride coating on teeth - wear protective clothing

Oral health management for mixed dentition period from 6 to 12 years old

During this period, it is important to maintain the health of the newly erupted permanent teeth . During this stage, the deciduous teeth begin to fall out, and the permanent teeth erupt in sequence until all the deciduous teeth are replaced. During this stage, there are both deciduous teeth and permanent teeth in the mouth. It is the main growth and development period of the child's jaw and dental arch, and it is also a critical period for the establishment of permanent teeth. This period is also the time when permanent teeth begin to suffer from caries. Early prevention and treatment should be carried out, and special attention should be paid to the protection of the sixth-year molars. The sixth-year molars refer to the first permanent molars that children grow, one on the upper and lower left and right, a total of 4. They erupt the earliest in the entire permanent dentition, are easily neglected, and are used the longest. There are more opportunities for caries and other damages. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen their protection, and prevent caries early (pit and fissure sealing) if there is caries, and treat caries early if there is caries.

Pit and fissure sealants are suitable for fully erupted molars with deep pits and fissures that are not decayed. It is the most effective way to prevent pit and fissure caries. It uses a non-invasive method to fill the pits and fissures of the teeth with pit and fissure sealants, making the tooth surface smooth and easy to clean, and bacteria are not easy to stay, thus effectively preventing pit and fissure caries. The best time to seal pits and fissures: deciduous molars at 3 to 4 years old, first permanent molars at 7 to 9 years old, and second permanent molars at 13 to 14 years old.

In addition to preventive measures, children should also insist on brushing their teeth correctly, and work hard on their eating habits and living habits. Eat more foods with high fiber content and a certain degree of hardness to promote chewing, avoid bad oral habits such as biting fingers, biting objects, and mouth breathing, and prevent malocclusion. Early correction and induction of normal occlusal relationship are one of the important tasks during this period. ——See the chapter "Protecting Teeth and Keeping Teeth Strong, Healthy Chinese Nation Prosperity - "Prevention" and "Treatment" of "Overbite" for details. Children in this period have more outdoor sports. When participating in sports activities, they should wear sportswear and non-slip sports shoes to prevent dental trauma caused by falls. If necessary, protective equipment such as helmets and protective mouthpieces should be worn. Once dental trauma occurs, go to the hospital as soon as possible. ——See the chapter "Protecting Teeth and Keeping Teeth Strong, Healthy Chinese Nation Prosperity - Prevention and Treatment of Dental Trauma" for details.

Wearing dental protection during exercise

Oral health management for young and middle-aged people

Periodontal health is the basis for the stability of teeth and the foundation of oral health in adults. In addition to preventing caries, young and middle-aged people should also focus on maintaining periodontal health.

First, maintain good oral hygiene habits, brush teeth scientifically and use dental floss, water flossers and other auxiliary tools to remove plaque and soft scale. ——For details, please see the chapter "Protecting teeth and keeping them healthy will strengthen the youth, and a healthy China will make the nation prosperous - Make the plaque between teeth disappear".

The second is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, smoke less, drink less, and refuse betel nuts.

Third, go to a regular hospital for regular oral examinations, detect and treat early, and have your teeth cleaned every six months to a year to prevent dental plaque and tartar from destroying periodontal tissues and causing periodontal disease, which eventually leads to loose teeth and tooth loss. - For details, see the chapter "Protecting Teeth Makes Teeth Stronger, Healthy China Makes the Nation Prosperous - Get Rid of Tartar".

Fourth, for those who are about to prepare for or are undergoing orthodontic treatment, oral hygiene is even more important. If oral hygiene is not paid attention to during the treatment, it is easy to cause gingivitis, demineralization, and tooth decay. - For details, please see the chapter "Protecting Teeth and Strengthening Teeth, Strengthening Youth, Prospering a Healthy China - Oral Care for Orthodontic Treatment".

Oral health management for the elderly

For the elderly, it is necessary to focus on the repair of defective or missing teeth caused by periodontal disease, and also pay attention to the impact of systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and other chronic diseases on oral health. "You lose your teeth when you are old" is a catchphrase that many people say. It is unreasonable to think that your teeth will fall out when you are old, and it has nothing to do with oral hygiene. So, how can we effectively prevent the occurrence of the "loss of teeth" phenomenon? This requires paying attention to maintaining oral hygiene in daily life. Instead of waiting for tooth pain or problems to go to the hospital for examination, you should have regular oral examinations. Not paying attention to oral health may also cause or aggravate the progression of systemic diseases.

For the elderly who do not wear removable dentures, in addition to regular brushing, they can also use dental floss. If there are large gaps between teeth, they can use an interdental brush or toothpick.

For the elderly who wear removable dentures, they should pay attention to the cleaning of dentures. They should brush their dentures gently with a toothbrush after meals and soak their dentures in clean water before going to bed. They should not sleep with removable dentures. With the degenerative changes of the salivary glands of the elderly, the saliva secretion decreases. The salivary glands can be massaged to stimulate the saliva secretion and enhance the self-cleaning effect. - For details, please refer to the chapter "Protecting Teeth and Strengthening Teeth for Young People, Healthy China and Prosperity of the Nation - Oral Health Care and Denture Care for the Elderly".

The popular science content of this platform has been funded by the China Association for Science and Technology's Science Popularization Department's 2022 National Science Literacy Action Project "National Society Science Popularization Capacity Improvement Project-Rehabilitation Science Popularization Service Capacity Improvement Action Plan"

Author: Lu Chenghui, Xu Runjuan

Reviewed by: Wei Jie, Jiang Xinxiang, Tang Guoyao

Unit: Stomatological Hospital Affiliated to Guilin Medical College, Department of Stomatology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Oral Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation Professional Committee of Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine Association, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, 2021 High-level Local University Collaborative Innovation Team of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine