Oral health begins with your teeth and gums, but doesn’t end there. Your oral health is important and has a strong link to your general health and wellbeing.

What is oral health?

Oral health encompasses the health and activities that are associated with your mouth, from speaking to smelling, tasting, swallowing, smiling, and more, without pain or disease. Poor oral health is defined by diseases such as tooth loss or decay, oral infections, gum disease, cancer, and many more. It has been estimated that 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by oral diseases, which is why it is so important to take care of your oral health and visit your dental practitioner.

Why is oral health so important?

Oral health is so important because it is directly linked to your overall health and wellbeing. If you have a disease, regardless of how big or small, it will affect how you feel mentally, physically, and socially. If your oral health is not addressed, you increase your chances of developing a more serious condition that can affect your entire body and wellbeing.

Oral health risk factors

Some risk factors can be controlled, such as lifestyle choices, while unfortunately, others cannot. It is important to take a proactive approach to your oral health wherever possible.

Poor lifestyle habits such as large alcohol consumption and smoking
Stress and anxiety
High sugar consumption
Pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or cancer
Medications
Age

How to keep good oral health

Early detection and steps to prevent any oral health issues is key to living a long, healthy life. To do this, here are some key steps that you can take:

Brush your teeth for at least 2-3 minutes, twice per day to keep your mouth clean or food and plaque build-up. Make sure the toothpaste contains fluoride.
Floss your teeth at least once per day to get to the places your toothbrush cannot
Brush or scrape your tongue to remove food residue and keep your breath fresh
If you wish, use mouthwash at least once per day
Drink lots of water each day to moisturize your mouth, rinse out debris and neutralize acid
Check the side effects of any medication to see if you need to take extra steps in your oral care (for example, some medications can cause dry mouth, inflammation, ulcers, etc)
Eat food full of healthy nutrients and reduce the amount of sugar in your diet to help reduce your risk of gum disease and tooth decay
Review your current lifestyle and see where you can make changes, for example, reduce alcohol consumption and tobacco, remove stress and anxiety factors, etc.
Book regular appointments with your dental practitioner for oral checkups

One of the best ways you can protect your overall health is by taking steps to look after your oral hygiene. It plays a huge role in your wellbeing, quality of life, and confidence.

Featured