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Teeth Matter: Are You Guilty Of Neglect?
It’s normal to take our oral health for granted until there’s a problem. In fact, a survey for National Smile Month found that millions of us would cancel a trip to the dentist to go to the pub, cinema or clothes shopping. If that’s the case, what other basic dental health measures are we skimping on?
Are you brushing right?
The advice to brush teeth twice a day is not new. But while many of us have good intentions, sometimes we simply forget or don’t make time for tooth care. And, when we do get around to brushing, do we give much thought to how we’re doing it?
This video from Colgate is the perfect refresher course on how to brush our teeth properly. How does your technique measure up?
Why dental check ups matter
Few of us look forward to going to the dentist. But putting off routine check ups could be doing us damage. Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the British Dental Foundation, recently highlighted the fact that over the last 2 years poor oral health has been linked to several health conditions to varying degrees including:
- Breast cancer
- Strokes
- Diabetes
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pneumonia
- Bowel cancer
- Endocarditis
- Oral cancer
- Dementia
- Pancreatic cancer
- Psoriasis
- Pregnancy complications
Scary stuff. But we can prevent gum disease and poor oral health by looking after our teeth. Along with brushing, regular trips to the dentist are the key. Basic check ups will highlight problems at an early stage and stop big problems developing.
Minimise damage from food and drink
Sugar is bad for teeth. But for most of us, going without sugary sweets and drinks forever is not an option. So here’s how we can help our teeth when we do choose unhealthy options:
- Eat sweets at mealtimes instead of snacking in between meals
- Use a straw to drink sugary drinks and fruit juice
- Rinse mouth with water after consuming sugary products
So, why not start over with some new oral health resolutions? And, if you need to book a dental check up or have any questions, please get in touch with our friendly team at Grosvenor Place Dental Practice in Mold.