Informative Speech On Fllossing

Hello my name is Carolina Castro and today I’m going to inform you about the importance of brushing and flossing your teeth and the appropriate technique to do it.
Since I was a child my mom used to tell me “you needed to brush your teeth at least twice a day because if you don’t do so, you are going loose them forever, and guess what, once you lose them they won’t grow back again”. I am pretty sure that for some of you this words sound very familiar, right? As I grew up I started to wonder why my mom always tell me brushing and flossing is so important? And that is the main reason why I decided to become a dental hygienist, in order to be able to teach my patients its importance.
Studies have shown that a poor oral hygiene may cause more

adverse effect on our health than just cavities or lost teeth. Brushing and flossing our teeth twice a day will prevent cavities and other harmful diseases of the mouth. Brushing our teeth will only take few minutes each day but will help our teeth and gums stay healthy. Consider the mouth as a doorway to the body and periodontal disease affects the entire body. Periodontal disease is commonly known as gum disease. If we do not brush and floss our teeth correctly bacterial plaque will build up on our teeth. Plaque is a white to yellow sticky film that coats the teeth. When bacterial plaque builds up it put us at risk for gingivitis. Gingivitis is an early stage of periodontal disease associated with bleeding and swollen gums, and if it is left untreated, it can lead to periodontitis, which affects the gum, bone and supporting tissue of the teeth ending up on losing our teeth. Some studies have shown that the bacteria associated with periodontal disease can enter your bloodstream and travel throughout your body. Heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease have all been linked to gum disease.
There are plenty of warning signs that are easy to catch to see if we could be at risk for gum disease. Having red, swollen, or tender gums, bleeding while brushing or flossing, loose teeth, bad breath, sensitivity to cold or hot food or drinks all of these are for sure signs that we need to get our teeth and gums checked by a dental practitioner.
Periodontal disease is preventable, controllable, and treatable. Brushing and flossing combined with getting a checkup and professional cleaning twice-yearly by a dental hygienist will control the accumulation of plaque in most people. Just brushing your teeth is never enough; brushing your teeth correctly and for an efficient amount of time is what prevents cavities and diseases.
I would like to present you some statistics about the prevalence of dental caries (dental decay) among adults 20 to 64 years of age, from the National Institute of Dental and Carcinofacial Research. We tend to believe that as we grow up the prevalence of caries will decrease but that is not the case, as you can see it is actually greater as we mature.

When brushing your teeth it is a good idea to use a brush with soft bristles, which is gentle with your gums. A tooth brush with hard bristles will wash away your gums and teeth become very sensitive. Toothbrushes should be replace every 2 to 3 months, or sooner if the bristles are bent or frayed. It is also recommended to brush for at least 2 minutes after each meal and at least 2 times a day.
In order to effectively brush our teeth, it is important to follow some steps. First brush the chewing surface of your teeth with a back and forth motion to remove all the food particles. Next gently brush your teeth in a circular motion with the bristles at a 45 angle degree toward the gum. Do the same on the inner surfaces of your upper teeth. Then repeat this same steps on your lower teeth. Finally, brush your tongue from back to front to remove all odor-producing bacteria. Remember that 90% of bad breath is cause by the hidden bacteria in our tongue. After brushing rinse your mouth and check to see if you missed any places.
Now we are going to discuss the proper flossing technique.

A common question to our dental practitioners is, when should we floss, after or before brushing? And the answer is that the sequence make no difference as long as you do your job.
Ok let’s talk about flossing. Flossing also helps to remove the plaque that forms on your teeth, it removes the plaque from the areas where the toothbrush cannot reach, and this areas are along the gum line and between your teeth. And as I already said, if we do not remove this plaque, guess what, we will end up with decay and infected gums.
To effectively floss your teeth start by taking 12 inches of floss. Slide the floss between your teeth curving around each tooth making a C shape, make 3 scoops on each side of every tooth. Go slightly under the gum line. Repeat this process with the lower teeth, and don’t forget to floss behind your back teeth. This teeth are very important to properly floss since this are the hardest areas to reach with the toothbrush.
A good dental hygiene is very important for everybody no matter the age. A clean mouth will help us to stay more immune to infection and other risks that periodontitis can cause. Remember to take the time to brush and floss your teeth properly every day to keep your teeth and gums healthy. It is never too early or too late to begin taking care of your

teeth.