Epidemiological survey showed that the periodontal health rate of adults in China was only 14.5%, and nearly 90% of the elderly had tooth loss. What is the reason for the high rate of tooth loss in the elderly? If the tooth is not repaired in time, what hidden dangers will be brought? On the eve of the "national tooth love day", the reporter interviewed Professor Sun Yongning, a famous dental implant expert and member of the dental implant Professional Committee of Chinese stomatology Association, and asked him to explain how to get rid of the problem of "old teeth".

Does the person old tooth drop

Professor Sun Yongning told reporters: "the root cause of the old-fashioned concept is that we don't pay enough attention to oral health." "With the increase of age, the oral tissue will undergo degenerative changes, such as dry oral mucosa, reduced saliva secretion, enamel wear and so on. But when people get old, their teeth may not fall out. If they are properly cared for, a good tooth can accompany them for life. " There are a large number of people with missing teeth in China. In contrast, the restoration rate of missing teeth is only 20%. Professor Sun pointed out that a tooth is like a team, and each tooth performs its own duties. The loss of a tooth will not only lose its corresponding function, but also affect the teeth nearby, causing loosening, falling off and residual food residues, which will eventually affect the nutrition absorption and health. The study found that people with missing teeth are more likely to suffer from digestive tract diseases than those with healthy teeth. They are 43% more likely to suffer from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and joint diseases, and the risk of Alzheimer's disease is 40% higher.

Choice of denture implant

As the saying goes: "a good tooth makes a good appetite!" for many old people, nothing tastes good without teeth. As an expert in the field of dental restoration, Professor Sun introduced three commonly used dentures: implant denture, fixed denture and removable denture.

"In terms of functional recovery, implant teeth are comfortable, beautiful and chewy, almost the same as real teeth, and have a long service life. Fixed denture is suitable for the repair of a large area of tooth defects, tooth color, shape abnormalities and other single teeth. However, removable dentures can be self-contained, easy to clean and cheap, but they are less stable and may become loose when eating, and they need to be replaced every 3-5 years. " Professor Sun said that dental implants are minimally invasive, accurate, fast and safe, and more suitable for the elderly. However, severe periodontitis, bad occlusion, mouth opening restriction, heart disease, diabetes and blood disease patients, pregnant women, severe psychological disorders, are not suitable for dental implant.

On the matters needing attention before and after dental implantation, Professor Sun advised: "patients should follow the doctor's advice to do the corresponding examination, inform their personal history and medication history; one week before the operation, avoid smoking and drinking, and do oral health care. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages on the day of surgery. After two hours, you can eat some liquid food, try to eat soft food within two weeks, and return to normal diet after two weeks; do not brush teeth 24 hours after operation, but use mouthwash several times a day, and clean teeth with soft toothbrush after 2-4 days; recheck every 6-12 months. "

Tooth protection starts with cleaning teeth

If tooth protection is compared to a battle, then cleanliness is the key to success. Whether it's real teeth or dentures, we should do a good job in daily cleaning. Professor Sun recommended four steps for tooth cleaning and tooth protection——

Brushing: tooth cleaning is the most basic oral cleaning method, which can remove food residue and pigmentation on the surface of teeth, and massage gums at the same time. The elderly should try to choose a toothbrush with small brush head and soft bristles, and replace it every 3 months; the use of fluoride toothpaste can help prevent dental caries in the elderly; when brushing, the bristles should be 45 degrees toward the root direction (the upper teeth upward and the lower teeth downward), and brush several times at the same position in the way of short distance horizontal vibration, and each tooth surface should be brushed to not less than 3 minutes.

Floss: clear the gap between the teeth, known as "oral hygiene dead angle", can be cleaned with dental floss. Take a piece of dental floss about 15-20 cm long, tighten it and gently pass between the two teeth; if the gap is too tight to pass, you can take the inside and outside pulling saw action; finally, close the dental floss to one side of the tooth surface and move towards the top of the tooth to scrape off the dental plaque.

Gargle: to residue after meals, especially after eating sweets, the best gargle. Patients with oral infection or wound can use mouthwash containing drug ingredients under the guidance of doctors, which can inhibit pathogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity. What needs to be reminded is that whether it is water, light salt water, or all kinds of mouthwashes, they can only play an auxiliary role in cleaning, and can not replace brushing teeth.

Tooth washing: removing dental calculus can remove dental plaque and calculus, and reduce gingival inflammation. People with good oral hygiene can wash their teeth every six months to one year.

Professor Sun Yongfang's teeth cleaning is a good gift for you all your life.

 Yongning  Sun, male chief physician, doctor of medicine, member of dental implant Committee of Chinese stomatology Association, member of Standing Committee of Beijing dental implant Committee, editorial board of Stomatology journal and editorial board of oral frontal prosthodontics. Since 1999, he has been engaged in the basic and clinical work of dental implant restoration. In 2005, he was selected into the Beijing Science and Technology Star program. In 2007, as a visiting scholar, he studied the implant repair technology of craniofacial defects at UCLA. As the sub project leader, he completed the National Tenth Five year science and technology public relations project "oral forehead"

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