It’s not just your teeth that benefit from a good oral health regime: it is your whole mouth and, indeed, your overall health.
An unhealthy mouth can lead to more serious problems such as diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. At our specialist dental practice in central London, we see patients who say they understand the importance of good teeth and insist that they are looking after their teeth by brushing regularly – yet they still develop cavities. How can this be fair?
Tooth brushing is just part of a good oral health regime
Cleaning your teeth regularly is, as the vast majority of the population knows, essential to good oral hygiene. In order to clean away the bacteria and food particles your teeth accumulate during the day, brushing twice daily is the minimum you can do.
During an appointment at our central London specialist dental practice, our hygienist will talk you through the best way to ensure a good oral health regime at home, explaining how to keep your mouth in top condition.
Similarly, the Oral Health Foundation has three key messages for looking after your smile. The first is that of brushing your teeth – with a fluoride toothpaste last thing at night and on one other occasion in the day. The second is to visit your dentist regularly. And the third message relates to sugar…
Sugar is the real enemy of the tooth
Tooth decay is inextricably linked to the presence of sugar in your mouth – so the third key action to ensure good oral health is to cut down on how often you have sugary food and drinks. The problem is not the amount, rather the frequency.
To combat the corrosive effects of sugar, you can chew sugar-free gum between meals, drink fizzy drinks through a straw and clean your teeth more often – but the best way is simply to reduce your intake of sugar.
