Philips HP 375 Bedienungsanleitung Seite 4

English
Clean and healthy teeth ... with Philips!
Important information for parents
Proper oral hygiene starts with taking good care of the milk teeth, since
these are crucial for the further development of the jaws and the correct
position of the permanent teeth.
Oral hygiene with children focuses mainly on the removal of dental plaque.
For this reason, it is important for children to learn how to brush their teeth
at an early age.
What is dental plaque?
Dental plaque is a soft sticky film which continually develops on teeth. It
has almost the same colour as teeth and consists mainly of bacteria which
occur normally in the mouth.
As long as plaque is still soft, it can easily be removed.
If not removed regularly, plaque will start to calcify. This hard, calcified
plaque is called "tartar".
New soft plaque will readily adhere to the rough surface of tartar. As tartar
is usually bound to the tooth, it must be removed by a dentist or dental
hygienist.
Fig. 1 shows a section of a tooth. The root of the tooth is joined to the
jawbone by strong tissue, called periodontium.
The jawbone is covered by gums or gingiva.
Gums, jawbone and periodontium together form the supporting tissue.
What are the effects of plaque?
The bacteria in the plaque produce an acid which can dissolve the enamel
of the teeth and the dentine beneath it. This will cause dental decay
(caries).
The bacteria also form substances which may cause inflammation of the
gums (gingivitis) or decay of the supporting tissue (periodontitis).
This process is illustrated in fig. 2: the shallow groove around the tooth
has become a deep pocket filled with plaque and tartar.
If the inflammation of the gums is allowed to continue for too long, it may
lead to destruction of the periodontium and gradual loss of the jawbone.
Inflamed gums are generally red and swollen and often bleed when the
teeth are brushed.
Eventually, this may result in the tooth coming loose or falling out (fig. 3).
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