How to check your teeth yourself
The goal of zaamigo’s app is to highlight three early signs of possibly poor dental care: Stains, calculus and inflamed gums.
What are stains?
There are many different types of stains. Zaamigo’s algorithms only highlight well outlined dark spots on teeth that are likely to be caused by insufficient brushing. These spots typically appear at locations that are not easily reached by a toothbrush.
How to prevent stains:
- Brushing these areas more carefully: Spending more time brushing these areas or switching hands while brushing.
- Daily flossing to clean locations that your toothbrush can't reach.
- Coffee or black tea might stain your teeth. Mixing these beverages with milk and brushing teeth 3x a day might help.
Stains are typically found on the back side of the incisors or behind the last molars.
What is calculus?
Dental calculus is hardened plaque and might appear in different colors. Calculus might compromise the health of the gums. Zaamigo's algorithms only highlight supragingival (“above the gums”) calculus. Calculus can't be removed with a toothbrush and should be removed by a professional.
How to prevent calculus:
- Using an electric toothbrush. Some toothbrushes are shown to be 7 times more effective in reducing plaque.
- Daily flossing to clean locations that your toothbrush can't reach.
- Use antiseptic mouthwash to kill bacteria that cause plaque.
- Be mindful about how often you eat. The bacteria in your mouth are also fed every time you eat. Drink plenty of water.
Calculus is typically found behind the lower incisors.What are inflamed gums?
There are many possible reasons for inflamed gums. Zaamigo's algorithms only highlight potentially plaque induced inflammations. In other words, bright red gums in proximity to plaque. We highly recommend consulting a dental professional in case of inflamed gums.
How to prevent inflamed gums: Please consult your dentist.
Zaamigo's algorithms also quantitatively assess each image with the zaamigo score.
What is the zaamigo score?
The zaamigo score is heavily biased towards the potentially more severe sign of inflamed gums and slightly biased towards calculus rather than stains.
- Inflamed gums might be a strong signal of poor dental hygiene, even if the surface area is quite small.
- Calculus is a weaker sign of poor dental hygiene and often covers a larger surface area.
Do you have more questions regarding our algorithms? Don't hesitate to ask us: connect@zaamigo.com