Protect your mouth and body

UK dental health charity the Oral Health Foundation has compiled a list of five top tips to help us take steps towards a healthier and happier mouth. Dentists Debbie Paramani and Vasiliki Stamatoukou from Drayton Dental Care are helping spread the message to ensure we all enjoy better dental health and improved general wellbeing.

1. Get ‘in-ter’ interdental brushing

Cleaning in between our teeth, using interdental brushes, dental floss, water or air flossers, loosens bacteria and food debris. This allows brushing to be more successful at removing plaque. Those of us who interdentally clean before brushing are left with a much cleaner mouth than those who do so afterwards. A study by the Oral Health Foundation found that a quarter of us admit to lying to our dentist about our flossing habits!

2. Be a top brusher

Brushing for two minutes last thing at night and at one other time during the day with fluoride toothpaste is key to maintaining good oral health. Daily brushing is important because it removes plaque. If plaque isn’t removed, it continues to build up, feeding on the bits of food left behind and causing tooth decay and gum disease.

3. Spit it out - but don’t rinse!

After brushing, we should spit out the toothpaste. Don’t be tempted to rinse because this washes away the fluoride, which continues to help protect the teeth.

4. Don’t be a dummy with diet

Diet can play a big part in our oral health. Eating sugary foods and drinking fizzy drinks both damage our teeth and leave them vulnerable to erosion and decay. Avoid snacking as this leads to more acid attacks on our teeth. Instead, keep sugar consumption to meal times only.

5. Don’t skip seeing your dentist

Despite the clear benefits of regular dental visits, as many as 27% only visit the dentist when they have a problem. By having regular appointments, your dentist and hygienist can help maintain a healthy mouth and keep oral disease at bay.

How much do you value your teeth?

If you value your teeth, we are the people to help you care for them. We offer cradle to grey dental care and free dental health examinations for children right up until their 18th birthday when a parent joins our practice and attends a family appointment. If that’s the kind of dental care you think you’d enjoy, then please contact us.

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