yvonne white- brush up on your oral hygiene skills
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photo by steed media service |
Student, KKC Dental Hygiene Program
Brushing your tongue regularly is not only healthy for you, it’s also good for the surrounding atmosphere – not to mention easier on other people’s nasal cavities. Yvonne White, a dental hygiene student at Kennedy King College, shares her pearls of wisdom regarding adherence to oral hygiene techniques for children and adults. White says that people often neglect to brush their tongue after brushing their teeth, which is not advisable if you want to reduce irritating fumes spilling out of your mouth and deadening the air.
“Do not skip the tongue,” White said at a recent health fair at KKC. “The bacteria get caught between your taste buds. That bacteria also ferments, causing [more] bacteria and it builds up. [That] buildup is what creates the odor that you need to eliminate through brushing regularly.” White also admonishes people to be sure to brush twice daily, every day. “As soon as you finish brushing, you accumulate plaque and debris in your mouth immediately, and that collects bacteria. That gives bacteria 24 hours to accumulate bad bacteria,” she says sternly. “Those acids produce the fermentation process [that] eats away at the enamel. That’s when you get tooth decay, and that’s when you have to call your dentist.”
To reduce dentist visits, children need to abide by some simple instructions. “Eating the right foods and avoid snacking on candy and pops. It’s important that they get their nutrition from apples and oranges as well as drinking [tap] water,” she says. –terry shropshire
