Oral Health

7 ways to maintain oral health.

Oral Health may not always be top of the list, but it’s an important part of self-care. Your teeth and gums have a direct link to good physical and mental health.

With the help of the Oral Health Foundation, we show you how to look after your family’s teeth and gums.

Brush your teeth. It’s important to brush your teeth for two minutes each time, this should be once during the day and last thing at night. Saliva flow – which neutralises acids and helps prevent dental decay – reduces by about 50% when we sleep. So it’s important to go to bed with a clean mouth.
Clean between your teeth. Use interdental brushes or floss between your teeth once a day. When we brush our teeth, we’re only getting to about 60% of the surface. The other 40% is where a toothbrush can’t get to.

Reduce your sugar intake. When you eat something with sugar in it, it reacts with plaque, which produces acid. Eventually, these plaque acids can cause holes in your teeth. If you eat sugar frequently, your teeth will be under attack all day.

Use the dentist regularly. Your dentist will recommend how often you need to visit. Some people may need to go every six months and others may not need to go as often.

Prevent heart disease. There is a link between poor gum health and heart disease. Bacteria from infected gums can enter the bloodstream, which contributes to inflammation in the heart and blood vessels.

Increase self-confidence. Poor oral health can affect people’s self-esteem and their mental health. If people have missing teeth, for instance, they stop smiling or going out of the house.

Start good habits early. Children should start going to the dentist from their fist birthday. When children lose all their baby teeth, they should start cleaning in between their adult teeth.