Brushing and flossing are a lot more important than you may think! You’re probably aware of the effects of not brushing and flossing to brush on your teeth but what about the effect it has on your body?

The mouth is the gateway to your body and if you have a healthy mouth then you are more likely to have a healthier body. Your mouth is has millions of bacteria and most of them are harmless. Usually, the body’s natural defences and good oral hygiene, such as daily brushing and flossing, help to keep these bacteria under control. However, without proper dental care, bacteria can reach high levels that might lead to tooth decay and gum disease and even diabetes.

Many people are surprised to discover the link between dental health and diabetes. Research has been ongoing for many years now and shows that there is an increased prevalence of gum disease among those diagnosed with diabetes.

Inflammation from diabetes impairs the body’s ability to utilise insulin. By improving your oral hygiene and treating gum disease you can help to bring diabetes under better control.

Having diabetes can increase your risk of dental problems? Managing your blood glucose levels is a crucial factor in deterring any likely problems. If your blood glucose levels are poorly controlled you are more at risk of developing serious gum disease, more so than non-diabetics.

What’s more, is that serious gum disease may be a factor in causing your blood sugar to rise and make your glucose levels even harder to control.

Other oral problems associated with diabetes include thrush, an infection caused by a fungus that grows in the mouth, and dry mouth which can cause soreness, ulcers, infections and cavities.

You might be wondering how you can prevent dental problems associated with diabetes… First and foremost, control your blood glucose level. Then, take good care of your teeth and gums, along with regular dental checkups every six months. To control thrush, a fungal infection, maintain good diabetic control, avoid smoking and, if you wear them, remove and clean dentures daily. Good blood glucose control can also help prevent or relieve dry mouth caused by diabetes.

Sometimes people don’t realise that they need to tell their dentist that they have diabetes. However, having the most up to date information on your medical health enables us to offer you the very best care and advice possible. To be able to advise you accurately it’s crucial our Leicester dentists have a full medical history to stop any problems from arising.

Diabetes Prevention Week 1-7 of April 2019. Check your risk of Type 2 diabetes… 

1) 10-year-olds in the UK have consumed 18 years’ worth of sugar!

Children have already exceeded the maximum recommended sugar intake for an 18-year old by the time they reach their tenth birthday, according to Public Health England (PHE). This is based on their total sugar consumption from the age of two. This figure comes as a new Change4Life campaign launches, supporting families to cut back on sugar and to help tackle growing rates of childhood obesity. While children’s sugar intakes have declined slightly in recent years, they are still consuming
around 8 excess sugar cubes each day, equivalent to around 2,800 excess sugar cubes per year.

Further reading can be found here…

2) Leicester is the 9th worse place in the UK for child’s tooth decay

Whilst the number of Leicester children with unhealthy teeth remains among the worst in the country things are improving. Figures from Public Health England in 2011 showed that half of all Leicester city 5-year-olds had some form of tooth decay. By 2016 this figure fell to a third of 5-year-olds, so things are moving in the right direction but we still have a long way to go.

Further reading can be found here…

3) You can halve your child’s everyday sugar intake with some simple swaps

Change4Life is encouraging them to “make a swap when you next shop”. Making simple everyday swaps can reduce children’s sugar intake from some products (yoghurts, drinks and breakfast cereals) by half – while giving them healthier versions of the foods and drinks they enjoy.

Parents can try swapping:

• a higher-sugar yoghurt (e.g. split-pot) for a lower sugar one, to halve their sugar intake
from 6 cubes of sugar to 3

• a sugary juice drink for a no-added-sugar juice drink, to cut back from 2 cubes to half a cube

• a higher-sugar breakfast cereal (e.g. a frosted or chocolate cereal) for a lower sugar cereal, to cut back from 3 cubes to half a cube per bowl

While some foods and drinks remain high in sugar, many companies have reformulated products such as yoghurts, breakfast cereals and juice drinks, meaning these swaps are a good place for families to start. Making these swaps every day could remove around 2,500 sugar cubes per year
from a child’s diet, but swapping chocolate, puddings, sweets, cakes and pastries for healthier

Sugar amount guidelines

• Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes).
• Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes).
• Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes).

There’s no guideline limit for children under the age of 4, but it’s recommended they avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with sugar added to it.

Further reading about simple sugar swaps and an app to help you shop…

Find out more about how our Leicester dentists can help take care of your children’s teeth…

Bad breath (halitosis) is a common complaint but one that shouldn’t be ignored. Most of the time bad breath can be treated with a few simple adjustments to your oral care regime.

First of all, you need to identify what is causing your bad breath.

If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while then you should make this a priority. Bad breath can be a sign of tooth decay or gum disease and it is important that these causes are treated as soon as possible to stop them from progressing further.

Visiting the dentist will also provide you with an assessment of your overall oral health and your dentist will advise you on the most suitable home care regime for you.

There are three main causes of bad breath.

1) External causes

This is generally something that you do or consume. Certain foods such as garlic and onions are well known for causes bad breath. Also, things such as smoking can leave your mouth tasting and smelling foul.

2) Oral Health

Many people mistakenly give their teeth a quick twice a day and think that this will be enough to keep bad breath at bay. Whilst brushing your teeth may refresh the mouth by using minty toothpaste the main purpose of brushing is to rove all soft plaque deposits and food debris. If your mouth starts to feel foul later in the day after brushing this is a sign you could be missing out on cleaning vital areas. A good dental health regime combines effective toothbrushing and interdental cleaning. Over a third of your tooth surfaces are in between the teeth so if you’re not cleaning between your teeth using either floss or interdental brushes then you are leaving behind plaque and food which is going to breed bacteria and cause a pong.

3) Medical conditions

Bad breath can be caused by an underlying medical cause for that, such as throat, nose or lung infections and sinusitis, bronchitis or diabetes.

Here are our top tips for keeping your breath fresh:

• Brush your teeth and gums at least twice a day for 2 minutes
using a fluoride toothpaste
• Gently clean your tongue once a day ideally using a tongue scraper but if you don’t have one of these then your toothbrush will do fine for now.
• Clean between your teeth with floss or interdental brushes or at least once a day
• Get regular dental health checks
• Keep dentures clean and remove them at night
• Use sugar-free mints or chewing gum after consuming food and drinks
• Try using an antibacterial mouthwash at a different time to brushing to keep bacteria at bay

Find out more about how our Leicester dentists can help you to have fresh breath…