dental care
Electric toothbrush, oil pulling and tongue scraper: How best to clean your teeth
Toothbrush, tongue scraper or brush: there are many tools for oral hygiene
© Jochen Tack / Picture Alliance
Did you know? We spend four months of our lives brushing our teeth. Assuming we brush twice a day, three minutes each time. This is how you get the most out of the six minutes a day.
Electric toothbrush
The round, oscillating brush heads reach hard-to-reach areas of the teeth more easily. Sonic toothbrushes offer no dental health benefits.
brush and dental floss
A third of the tooth surface lies between the teeth and cannot be reached by the toothbrush. Dental floss cleans normally wide interdental spaces, while dental tapes are suitable for narrow ones. Interdental brushes can be used to get under bridges and braces and into wide spaces.
draw oil
Some studies show that oil has a cleaning and disinfecting effect, but the data is rather sparse. It is recommended to swish the oil (e.g. virgin, unrefined sunflower, coconut or sesame oil) back and forth in the mouth for at least 20 minutes. According to Ayurvedic medicine, bacteria and toxins are bound in this way.
mouthwash
The liquids contain active ingredients that reduce plaque and fight tooth decay. High-percentage chlorhexidine rinses are particularly effective, but they should only be used for short periods of time.
tongue scraper
Coating of the tongue makes us taste worse and leads to bad breath. A tongue scraper reduces plaque and bacteria on the tongue and is a useful addition to dental care.