Don’t wait until you have to visit the dentist to go to the dentist.
When it comes to dental hygiene and oral health the truth is most people don’t give it much thought, until they have a problem and they have to visit the dentist. The sad fact is most people could avoid expensive dental procedures by following a simple oral hygiene routine and the best thing parents can do for their kids is teach them to start their routine early in life, so it becomes a habit.
Oral health: Brush up on dental care basics
The great misconception is, all you need to do is brush your teeth in the morning and before going to bed and floss every now and again and that’s it. But if you want to avoid getting implants or false teeth and want to keep your natural teeth for life, good oral hygiene is where it starts and hopefully finishes.
What most people don’t realise is, Oral health care is also very important for your overall health and well-being and not just preventing oral disease and decay, as you will see below.
Poor oral health not only affects the health of your gums and teeth but it also impacts on your general health with links to heart disease and stroke to name just two important side effects.
Here at Garners Dental we are very focused on helping our patients, especially the young ones, implement a preventative oral care program because the earlier you start the better it is for you. Our goal is to help each of our patients obtain an optimal level of oral health.
It’s often the small things that make a big difference. Oral Hygiene is easy to do at home and together with your regular checkups witll keep your mouth healthy.
What Is Good Oral Hygiene? – The things you should do.
A thorough oral health care routine should include brushing twice daily at least and flossing after meals to remove all food particles that feed the bacteria that create plaque. This will maintain a clean tooth surface and stop the plaque from creating the acid that eats your teeth and causes tooth decay (cavities).
Regular visits to the dentist for preventative care check-ups and a professional clean are also vital in any oral health routine.
See your dentist at least twice a year
Every dentist will tell you getting a check-up every 6 months is recommended but it is not just recommended, it’s really important if you want to have healthy teeth and gums and reduce your dental bills. A regular and inexpensive dental check-up enables the dentist to diagnosis potential oral health issues in their early stages and take preventative action as well as give you a professional clean.
It’s an old adage but still very true: Prevention is always better than a cure.
Oral Hygiene Basics – The things you need to avoid
Having a regular checkup and addressing tooth decay before it causes pain will keep your mouth healthy and your dental costs down.
Tooth decay (cavities) is a common problem for people of all ages. For children, untreated cavities can cause pain, absence from school, difficulty concentrating on learning, and poor appearance, all problems that greatly affect quality of life and ability to succeed. Children often do not receive timely treatment for tooth decay and are more likely to suffer from these problems.
Video goes here “Why You Get Cavities,”
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection caused by bacteria under the
gum tissue that begin to destroy the gums and bone. Teeth become loose, chewing becomes difficult, and teeth may have to be extracted. Gum disease may also be related to damage elsewhere in the body; recent studies point to associations between oral infections and diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and preterm, low-weight births. Research is underway to further examine these connections.
Other oral health care tips
Water, the healthy, FREE alternative to soda and fruit juices.
Many children and adults miss out on doing the simple measures that have been proven effective in preventing oral diseases and reducing dental care costs. For example, fluoride prevents tooth decay.
A simple way for you and your children to get the fluoride you need is to drink tap water because the water in Australia is fluoridated unlike some other countries. Our tap water is excellent quality, as good as many bottled waters which often don’t contain fluoride.
Brushing for oral health
Second, use a toothpaste that contains fluoride. For very young children, for example, if your child is less than 7 years old, put only a pea-sized amount on their toothbrush. Seek advice from a dentist or other health care professional before introducing fluoride toothpaste to children under 2 years of age.
Proper tooth brushing is critically important to good dental hygiene. Parents can help their children practice proper tooth brushing by starting to clean teeth early, using the right amount of fluoride toothpaste, supervising tooth brushing, and talking to Dr Bassi about a child’s specific fluoride needs. Dr Bassi was a senior dentist at the Dental Hospital specialising in children’s dental care.
Adult Dental Health
How Does Smoking Affect My Oral Health?
Smokers are up to six times more likely to develop gum disease (periodontal disease), which can lead to serious problems such as causing teeth to fall out.
These days most people are aware that smoking is bad for their health. It can cause numerous medical problems and, in some cases, it can lead to fatal diseases. However, many people don’t realise the damage that smoking does to their mouth, gums and teeth.
Smoking can lead to tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss, and in more severe cases mouth cancer.
The gums are affected because smoking causes a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, so the infected gums don’t heal. Smoking causes people to have more dental plaque and causes gum disease to get worse more quickly than with non-smokers. Gum disease is still the most common cause of tooth loss in adults.
Quitting Smoking is Not Easy –
Download this Free EBook “Quit Smoking Now!”
Quit Smoking Now – a Free eBook from Garners Dental.
It can be a very challenging to quit smoking, A lot of people have to make multiple attempts, primarily because nicotine is one drug that can be highly addictive and difficult to resist. However, you should never give up trying just because you failed to succeed in the past.
If you are determined to kick the butt, this free book aims to help you to stop smoking and make your resolution a reality.
Download “Quit Smoking Now!” a Free eBook from Garners Dental.
At Garners Dental we provide comprehensive, personalized and preventive dental care and education – for the whole family – to protect and improve oral health.