April is oral health awareness month. Although it’s often neglected, don’t underestimate the importance of proper oral health for you and your family, especially children. There are lots of games and activities to help children take better care of their teeth. Our teeth, gums, tongue and mouth matter and we want them to be healthy and available for years to come! Plus, what happens inside our mouth actually affects our whole body. For example, dental diseases such as periodontal disease have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Oral health problems could signal something serious like oral cancer (which unfortunately has a low survival rate because it is often diagnosed late) so make sure you visit your dentist regularly.
According to the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), we should all be keeping our mouth clean with the proper toothbrush, daily flossing, avoid smoking, visit the dentist regularly of course, and look for signs of gum disease (ongoing bad breath, bleeding when brushing/flossing and gums that are sore, red, shiny and/or puffy).
Diet
The CDA says we should all be eating a well-balanced diet, avoid acidic foods and limit foods and beverages that contain sugar and/or carbohydrates. The following foods won’t harm your teeth: non-acidic raw vegetables, fruits and salads are high in water and fiber which helps balance sugars they contain and actually help clean your teeth! Phosphorus-rich foods such as lean meat, poultry and fish help protect and rebuild your tooth enamel. Protein-rich foods like nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, unsweetened, plain yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese, hard boiled or devilled eggs (and meat, poultry and fish) help to strengthen and protect teeth. Calcium in many of these foods strengthens teeth.
Dr. Michael Kagal, dentist at Humber RiverDentistry offers these helpful tips for good oral health:
Maintaining teeth (for adults):
1. Change your toothbrush every three months.
2. Brush and floss twice a day, especially at nighttime. Cavities occur at nighttime if you don’t brush your teeth.
3. Visit your dentist or dental hygienist every three to nine months. Dental cleanings are important as you cannot clean off all the plaque under your gums just by brushing and flossing.
4. Electric toothbrushes are more effective than manual toothbrushes, however, they can be more abrasive to your teeth. Alternate between electric toothbrushes at nighttime and manual brushes in the morning.
5. Dark Coffee and tea stain the teeth. Consider adding milk to prevent staining. Strawberries actually whiten teeth!
Children’s dental health:
1. Visit the dentist when your child’s first tooth erupts.
2. Regular cleanings at the dentist should start at three years old when all of your child’s primary teeth are present.
3. Brush or clean your child’s teeth right before bed. Try to brush the teeth yourself.
If you cannot use a tooth brush, you can use a wet gauze.
4. Never let an infant or a toddler fall asleep with a bottle.
