Maintaining good oral health is important for general health and wellbeing and allows you to eat, speak and socialize without discomfort or embarrassment.
Some top tips to improve your oral health: .
- Reduce the amounts of sugary foods and drinks consumed, especially just before bedtime.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day, last thing at night and on one other occasion, with fluoride toothpaste as an effective way of preventing tooth decay.
- Your dentist may prescribe a toothpaste with a higher fluoride content if you have tooth decay or are at particular risk of tooth decay.
- Avoid smoking as this can increase the risk of mouth cancer. If you would like help to stop smoking, ask about the smoking cessation clinic or call
HMC Tobacco Control Center on 4025 4981 or 4025 4983.
- If you wear full or partial dentures, remember to clean daily and remove them from your mouth at night
Whether you have your own teeth or wear dentures, you should see your dentist regularly for an overall check of your mouth, teeth, gums and dentures
Dry Mouth
A dry mouth can increase your risk of dental decay and can affect your quality of life by limiting your ability to speak clearly, eating and enjoying your food. It can also affect the comfort of your dentures, if you wear them.
To alleviate the condition you can:
- Take regular sips of water.
- Suck on sugar-free sweets or chew sugar–free gum.
- Suck on ice-cubes.
- Avoid alcohol (including alcohol-based mouthwashes).
- Ask your dentist or doctor to suggest or prescribe an artificial saliva substitute.
Ask a pharmacist about treatments you can buy to help keep your mouth moist, such as gels, sprays, tablets or lozenges. Not all products may be suitable so check with a pharmacist for advice about the best one for you.
Useful resources from the Oral Health Foundation:
