Oral health is not only important to your appearance and sense of well-being, but also to your overall health due to the links it has between gum disease, and general health. Paying attention to your oral hygiene is an excellent habit to get into!
All available evidence shows that oral diseases share important common risk factors with these four leading chronic diseases - cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and type 2 diabetes - including unhealthy diet, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption and poor oral hygiene.
Tooth decay and gum disease may contribute to many serious conditions. Untreated tooth decay can also be painful and lead to serious infections. It's never too late to take care of your teeth and gums so visit your dental team once a year for advice and a check up to prevent tooth decay, gum disease, mouth cancer and bad breath
Improving your lifestyle and food choices can make a difference, including the following.
- Decrease your intake of sugars and have a well-balanced diet
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste (at least 1000ppm) and floss
- Increase your fruit and vegetable consumption
- Stop smoking and reduce your alcohol consumption