Smile- May Is Smile Month

Start your day with a smile- May is Smile Month

So, this is a good time to recap on the importance of looking after your teeth because gum disease may increase your risk of all kinds of other health complications including stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

To keep your teeth clean, you should brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste for about 2 minutes twice a day, at night and one other time during the day. Toothbrushing stops the build-up of plaque.

What is Plaque?

Plaque is a film of bacteria that coats your teeth if you don’t brush properly.

What is the best way to brush my teeth?

It doesn’t matter whether you use an electric or manual toothbrush as long as you brush all the surfaces of your teeth and you use fluoride toothpaste. However, some people find it easier to use an electric toothbrush.

For most adults, a toothbrush with a small head and a compact, angled arrangement of long and short round-end bristles are fine. Medium or soft bristles are best for most people. If you’re using an electric toothbrush, one with a rotating or oscillating head may work better. Change your toothbrush or head every 3 to 4 months.

What type of toothpaste is best?

It is important to use toothpaste with the right concentration of fluoride. Research has shown that fluoride can reduce plaque, remove tartar and clean and protect teeth. Using fluoride is the most effective cavity prevention treatment available today.

Each packet of toothpaste has the amount of fluoride it contains written on it. Adults should use toothpaste that contains at least 1,350 parts per million (ppm). Children don’t need to use special children’s toothpaste.

Children of all ages can use the family toothpaste, as long as it contains 1,350 to 1,500 ppm fluoride. Children aged 6 and under who don’t have tooth decay can use a lower-strength children’s toothpaste but make sure it contains at least 1,000ppm fluoride.

Children under 3 should use just a smear of toothpaste while children aged 3 to 6 should use a pea-sized blob. Make sure children don’t lick or eat toothpaste from the tube. Children need to be helped or supervised brushing their teeth until they are at least 7 years old.

Why should I use dental floss?

Flossing isn’t just for dislodging food wedged between your teeth. Regular flossing may also reduce gum disease by removing plaque that forms along your gum line. It is best to floss your teeth before you brush them.

Take 12 to 18 inches of floss and grasp it so you have a couple of inches of floss taut between your hands. Slip the floss between your teeth and into the area between your teeth and gums as far as it will go.

Use a gentle rocking motion to guide the floss between your teeth and when it reaches your gumline, curve it into a C-shape against a tooth until you feel resistance. Holding the floss against the tooth gently scrape it along the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum.

Repeat on the other side of the gap, alongside the next tooth. Do not forget the back of your last tooth. When flossing, keep to a regular pattern. Start at the top and work from left to right, then move to the bottom and again work from left to right. This way you are less likely to miss any teeth.

What is gum disease?

Gum disease begins when plaque builds up along and under your gum line. Plaque causes an infection that hurts the gum and bone that holds your

teeth in place. A mild form of gum disease may make your gums red, tender, and more likely to bleed. This problem, called gingivitis, can often be fixed by brushing and flossing every day. A more severe form of gum disease, called periodontitis must be treated by a dentist. If not treated this infection can lead to sore bleeding gums, painful chewing problems, and even tooth loss. To prevent gum disease, brush your teeth twice daily, floss regularly, eat a well-balanced diet and visit your dentist routinely.

For more information about this or any other health related problem, speak to a member of our trained team

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