Oral Health Morecambe: Diet and other factors
If you live in Morecambe, how much of an effort do you make to look after your oral health?
You probably brush your teeth regularly, although according to a survey put together by the National Smile Month campaign, a quarter of us admit we only brush them once a day.
You probably floss sometimes to remove a plaque-causing build up of food deposits between your teeth, although, not if you are in the third of the population, who admits to never having flossed!
You might even be in the 61% of the population that visits your Morecambe dentist regularly…or are you part of the 25%, who has not visited a dentist in the last 2 years?
If you are aware of how poor oral health can have serious consequences on your overall health, then you probably do everything your dentist recommends. If, however, you’re not too sure of how to best look after your oral health through your diet and tooth cleaning regimes, we are going to empower you by giving you the knowledge you need, to better prevent yourself from experiencing future health problems.
The consequences of poor oral health
- Heart disease has been linked to poor oral health, but 60% of us refuse to believe that.
- Strokes have been linked to the health of your teeth and gums, but 79% of us had no idea that was the case.
- As well as heart disease, gum disease has also been linked to rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
As you can see, taking care of our teeth is of the utmost importance, not just for keeping our teeth looking nice and preventing them from falling out or decaying, but to aid our general health.
Here are a few important dos and don’ts to improve the state of our oral health and consequently our general health.
Don’t:
- Snack through the day on sweets, fizzy drinks or sugary snacks. If you need to get your sugar fix, do it at mealtimes, when you know you’ll be brushing your teeth afterwards.
- Although fruit is a healthy alternative snack to sugary treats, eaten in excess, it can have a detrimental effect on your teeth.
- Too much tea, coffee, red wine and curry powder will discolour your teeth.
- Don’t forget to keep your dental appointments. You dentist can’t alert you to any dental problems that may be brewing in your mouth if he or she hasn’t seen you in a while.
Do:
- Brush twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste, floss daily and make sure you change your toothbrush every two or three months.
- Eat plenty of vegetables, lean protein and whole grains.
- Dairy products contain lots of calcium, which is good for your teeth and bones.
- Sesame seeds contain vitamin A, which is great for strengthening tooth enamel.
- Do ensure you visit your dentist regularly. Getting dental concerns checked and treated when they first appear will save you a lot of pain and expense further down the line.
If you live in Morecambe and you think you might require some dental treatment, or you’d like to register with a dentist to prevent having serious treatment in the future, the Viva Dental practice is an obvious choice. With our team of highly trained and experienced dental staff, we provide general and cosmetic dentistry services. Please give us a call to book your healthy mouth review today.
