HOW TO KEEP YOUR TEETH AND GUMS HEALTHY

Taking care of your oral health is one of the easiest and most affordable health-related activities. Plus, it benefits your overall health too. Here’s how to have healthy teeth and a beautiful smile

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GIVE YOUR CHILDREN THE GIFT OF STRONG TEETH
You might think that ‘baby teeth’ don’t matter because they’re going to fall out, but they are way more important than that. They help children to speak and chew their food – and they are ‘placeholders’ for the permanent teeth that will follow them. If a baby tooth is lost because of decay, it can interfere with the adult tooth’s development when the time comes.

Here’s your dental-health checklist for kids:

• Never give your baby sweet drinks in a bottle. Rooibos tea (with or without milk) is a much better choice than fruit juice.
• Once your baby has teeth, use a soft baby toothbrush to brush twice a day with a tiny amount of toothpaste.
• Once they can brush their own teeth, make a fun game of checking the job was properly done and making sure they spit out the toothpaste.
• Don’t share spoons or other eating utensils with your baby or put their pacifier in your mouth to ‘clean’ it, as adult cavity-causing bacteria can be passed to them.

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FOOD AND YOUR TEETH – THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
First off, eating a balanced diet is the best way to achieve overall health. That said, certain foods pack an extra punch when it comes to promoting healthy teeth.

Crunchy fruit and veg like apples, celery and carrots do a great job as a ‘natural toothbrush’ and stimulate saliva production, which helps dislodge food remains. Saliva also contains small amounts of calcium and phosphates, which strengthen tooth enamel.

Calcium-rich foods like milk, cheese, yoghurt, leafy greens, beans and tofu (soya curd) are essential for maintaining healthy tooth enamel. Nuts are great for your health in general, and they pack a powerful calcium punch.

Lean protein such as fish, chicken and eggs are rich in phosphorus, which helps rebuild tooth enamel and protect against cavities.

BAD FOR YOUR TEETH
Sweets, cakes and cookies might be delicious, but unless you brush your teeth right after eating them you run the risk of tooth decay. Sour sweets are even worse than regular ones as they contain more kinds of acids that attack tooth enamel.

Simple carbohydrates, like white bread and potato chips, are also bad news for teeth. Chips get trapped between your teeth, causing plaque to build up, and bread forms a ‘paste’ that coats your teeth and can also increase plaque build-up. (Plaque is a sticky film that builds up on your teeth if they aren’t brushed regularly. Bacteria love to cling to it so it’s harmful to your teeth and gums.)

Citrus fruits are full of healthy vitamin C, but not so great when it comes to your teeth, because they also contain high levels of acid and sugar (surprisingly, this includes lemons!), which both cause erosion of tooth enamel.

Carbonated drinks like sodas speed up the production of acid in your mouth and dry out your mouth, reducing saliva production.

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Do:

• Brush at least twice a day for about two minutes.
• Brush from the gum down (top teeth) and from the gum upwards (bottom teeth). Don’t use a sawing side-to-side action as the toothbrush bristles won’t get in between your teeth.
• Brush your tongue.
• Floss your teeth at least once a day.

Don’t

• Overbrush. Brushing too often, or for too long, can wear down your tooth enamel.
• Apply too much pressure when you brush as this can also damage enamel.
• Use a toothbrush that’s too hard.

DENTAL CHECKS
A vital part of dental and gum health is having your teeth checked by a dentist regularly. It’s generally recommended that children should have their first check-up about six months after their first tooth appears, and thereafter should see a dentist every six months, or more frequently if there’s any indication of tooth decay.

Adults with healthy teeth can get away with just an annual check-up, but those who have a history of dental problems or issues should go once every four or six months.

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