Today is the final day of National Smile Month 2016. National Smile Month is a month long campaign designed to create better public awareness about oral health. There are 3 main messages the campaign promotes.
• Brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks.
• Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.
If we are honest, maintaining a good level of oral health is a straight forward task. Many of us already know what’s required to keep our teeth in tip top condition. But we still choose to ignore the most basic day-to-day hygiene routines and put our health at risk.
A shocking number of people brush for less than two minutes, our diet as a nation has become over-reliant on added sugars while millions of us haven’t seen a dentist in the last two years.
Consequences of the above over a long period of time, often leads to unnecessary, invasive and expensive treatment. Most people aren’t aware of the direct impact our oral health problems can cause such as gum disease and tooth decay while the repercussions of poor oral health go further than our mouth.
Over the recent years more evidence has been gathered suggesting that poor oral health also puts you at an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, dementia, complications during pregnancy and male sexual health problems are just a few of the likely outcomes of not looking after our teeth. Now that should have you running to to grab your toothbrush!
Your oral health
Brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste
Clean in-between your teeth once daily with floss or interdental brushes
Visit your dentist regularly
Chew sugar-free gum after eating or drinking, especially sugary foods, to help protect your teeth and gums in between meals.
Wait an hour after eating or drinking anything before brushing as then enamel will be softened and you could be brushing away tiny particles.
Avoid snacking and try to only have sugary foods and drinks at mealtimes, reducing the time your teeth come under attack.
Your childs oral health
Brush your child’s teeth as soon as they appear with a toothpaste appropriate for their age.
Help your child to brush their teeth until they are at least seven.
Take your child to the dentist early, as soon as their teeth start to appear, this will help them get used to the sights, sounds and smells of a dental practice.
Use a timer or brush a long to a song to ensure your children are brushing for the correct amount of time.
Using a reward chart to track your children’s brushing habits and get them actively involved in brushing their teeth.
Using disclosing tablets are a great way to show areas of your children’s mouth which may need better brushing.
Arrange a dental health check today by clicking here…
We advise patients to discourage their children from thumb sucking and review it at every 6 month dental appointment. 
