Modern oral hygiene products
Biologically active toothpastes contain vitamins, trace elements, and minerals that promote enamel mineralization and improve metabolic processes in the soft periodontal tissues. To introduce new toothpastes, laboratory tests assessing the actual absorption of active components and their shelf life are mandatory. A separate niche is occupied by nanostructured materials (e.g., the therapeutic and prophylactic Vivax line). At the molecular level, they transmit information to damaged cells, stimulating their recovery and suppressing the negative environmental impact.
Proper rinsing is an important step. After brushing, it is necessary to thoroughly wash away toothpaste residues, as they can cause bacteria and food retention. An effective technique involves forcefully pushing water through the interdental spaces into the oral vestibule (vestibulum oris) and back by contracting the cheek muscles. For locally caused halitosis, antiseptics (a weak solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide) are used, while basic essential oil-based mouthwashes provide auxiliary deodorization.
Interdental cleaning and chewing gum
To remove plaque from the side surfaces of teeth inaccessible to a toothbrush, flosses (optimally silk threads, cotton is acceptable) and disposable wooden toothpicks are used. Using needles or pins is strictly prohibited due to the risk of injury.
Chewing gum acts as a caries prevention measure only if two conditions are met: the presence of sugar substitutes instead of sugar and use strictly for 3–5 minutes after meals. The prophylactic effect is due to the stimulation of salivation—abundant saliva physically washes away simple carbohydrates. However, violating the protocol carries serious risks:
- Gastrointestinal: chewing on an empty stomach directs excess saliva into an empty stomach, provoking the development of ulcers or gastritis.
- Dental: prolonged chewing presses hard food debris deep into the interdental spaces, causing difficult-to-diagnose hidden caries.
Hygienic requirements for clothing and fabric properties
Clothing is designed to protect the body from mechanical damage, cold, and contamination. It is made of natural, artificial (viscose), and synthetic (capron, nylon, lavsan) materials. A key hygienic requirement is lightness and loose fit. Too tight clothes (or tight belts for the sake of fashion) lead to blood and lymph stasis, nerve compression, organ displacement, and restricted breathing.
Critically important fabric properties:
- Thermal conductivity. The higher the porosity, the more air the fabric retains and the better it protects against cold (fur has a porosity of up to 98%). Layering additionally increases this indicator.
- Air permeability. Necessary for the removal of carbon dioxide and body vapors. It is highest in loose wool and knitwear, while in rubberized raincoats it is zero.
- Moisture capacity and hygroscopicity. Moisture displaces air from the pores, increasing heat transfer. Cotton mesh fabric is optimal for underwear, effectively absorbing sweat. Synthetics, on the other hand, are non-hygroscopic.
- Electrizability. Synthetic fibers accumulate a charge upon friction. To avoid discomfort, they are combined with cotton or wool. The exception is chlorin underwear, whose negative charge is used in medicine to treat radiculitis.
Clothing contamination and sanitary regulation
During use, clothing becomes contaminated both externally (dust) and internally (sweat, desquamated epithelium, sebum). Dirt reduces air permeability and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Clothing can serve as a transmission vector for typhoid fever, cholera, tuberculosis, as well as carriers of parasitic infestations (e.g., body lice transmitting typhus).
To prevent infections, underwear is washed every 7–10 days, and synthetic items every 3–4 days (due to high lipophilicity, they quickly accumulate fat). The quality of textiles is controlled by the regulatory document SanPiN 2.4.7/1.1.1286-03. It establishes organoleptic, toxicological-hygienic, and physicochemical indicators for underwear, suits, hosiery, and chemical threads. All clothing (except for specialized workwear) is permitted for sale exclusively with a corresponding sanitary-epidemiological conclusion.
Briefly: answers to topical questions
What hygienic requirements apply to specialized workwear?
Specialized workwear is subject to the following requirements:
- Tightly fitted protective clothing is used as personal protective equipment when working with aggressive substances.
- When working with industrial dust, protective clothing made of dust-impermeable fabric is used, the design of which must prevent dust penetration under the clothing.
- Protective clothing must be washed regularly.
Sanitary and hygienic rules regulating indicators for casual clothing do not apply to protective clothing.
Which phases of human work capacity changes sequentially during the working day?
During a work shift, four phases of human work capacity changes occur sequentially.
- Work-up phase (adaptation) is the period of primary adaptation to the load.
- Relatively stable work capacity is the plateau stage.
- Decreased work capacity is the stage of fatigue development.
- Secondary increase in work capacity is the "end spurt", which is associated with the anticipation of finishing the work.
After the lunch break, this cycle repeats, but with differences: work-up occurs faster, the phase of stable work capacity is lower in level and shorter in duration, and the decrease in work capacity sets in earlier and faster due to more profound fatigue of the body.
Class and exam questions
Why should chewing gum not be used between meals?
This causes excessive salivation on an empty stomach, which contributes to the development of gastritis or peptic ulcer disease.
Which fabric is best suited for underwear?
Soft woolen knitwear, cotton, or natural silk are optimal due to their high elasticity, hygroscopicity, and good breathability.
Why is the fashion for very tight clothing dangerous?
It impairs ventilation of the sub-clothing space, compresses nerve trunks, impedes normal intestinal peristalsis, and causes lymph stasis.
What else to study on this topic
- Sanitary-chemical and toxicological evaluation of materials according to SanPiN
- Mechanism of cellular impact of nanostructured components in dentistry
- Specific properties of synthetic fibers and their lipophilicity
- Physiology of heat exchange and the influence of fabric porosity on thermoregulation
- Compositions of special-purpose therapeutic and prophylactic mouthwashes
Master the entire topic in the "Hygiene" course
This is a summary. The course covers everything tested in classes and exams.
- Complete study guide on "Work and Rest Regimen" and another 530 pages of the subject
- Assignments and quizzes after every topic — just like in a colloquium
- AI tutor answers questions on the topic anytime
- 95 video lessons for the subject
Other topics in "Chapter 9. Personal Hygiene and Healthy Lifestyle"
Prepared by WhiteCoat Pro faculty in accordance with the medical school curriculum. For educational purposes only.