Oral hygiene instruction

• Brush twice a  day with a soft bristled toothbrush
• Use toothpaste that contains fluoride, it’s proven to prevent cavitiesReplace your toothbrush every three months, or sooner if bristles look worn out
• Floss between teeth daily to remove plaque from areas your toothbrush cannot reach
• Don’t smoke
• Keep sugary foods to a minimum. Replace with sugar free snacks ie; fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread.
• Cut down on soft drinks (including diet), energy drinks and fruit juices as they contain acids that can damage tooth enamel.
  

Snack Food

It is not how much sugar you eat, but how often that matters most. The more regularly you eat sweet foods and drinks the greater the chance of getting holes in your teeth.Try to save sweet foods (lollies, cakes) for meal times or eat them at the one time, rather than throughout the day. Our mouth will remain acidic for several hours after eating, so snacking is more likely to lead to caries.That’s because chewing increases your saliva, which is the mouths built in defense system against the development of plaque.

A note for caregivers of young children

• Do not give a bottle of sweetened milk, cordial or fruit juice especially at bedtime, this can cause decay.
• Honey or sweetener products on your baby’s dummy are likely to damage your baby’s teeth.

It is important to maintain good oral health during pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause gingivitis, due to hormones affecting the way that gums react to plaque. For more information on this please follow this link: http://arcpoh.adelaide.edu.au/dperu/special/pregnancy/pregnancy_DL.pdf

Gum Disease – early signs

• Bleeding gums, especially after brushing
• Gums have swollen, red appearance
• Bad breath or taste in mouth.
  

The major cause of gum disease is plaque

Plaque left on teeth can make gums swell. If gums become swollen they move away from teeth, resulting in pockets around the tooth. Pockets trap plaque around the gum.
If gums bleed when you are brushing it means there is bacteria present, so it is important to continue brushing. If you don’t floss you are leaving as much as 40% of your tooth surfaces untouched and un-cleaned.

Visit your dentist twice yearly for an examination. If you do, you can prevent minor problems becoming major ones. Our Hygienist can also provide expert advice on brushing and flossing.

Smoking causes damage to the gums and the bone supporting the teeth. For a fact sheet on how smoking can affect your oral health please follow this link: http://arcpoh.adelaide.edu.au/dperu/special/smoking/SmokingAndYourMouth.pdf