Something most patients are not aware of is how closely oral and general health is connected.
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The theme of this year's Dental Health Week (DHW), held from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 August, aims to change all that by shining a spotlight on the importance of this connection.
Failing to brush twice a day, floss once a day, and eat a diet low in sugar exposes you to a range of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses and diseases.
The risks from a neglected mouth include heart attack, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, stroke, stomach ulcer, asthma, low birth weight babies, and pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.
The Australian Dental Association's (ADA) latest Consumer Survey uncovered confusion about people's understanding of neglected oral health, and its knock-on effect of possible serious health issues like Type 2 diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease.
General dentist for NSW health Dr Janani Ravichandran said according to the survey only 75 per cent of people rarely floss, 20 per cent only brush once a day, and 64 per cent of people only visit the dentist when they have a problem.
"People are only coming in for emergency care and it's resulting in a more expensive treatment."
Dr Janani said this was because of the rising cost of living which meant fewer people were visiting their dentist, but she said it would be cheaper to go in for regular check-ups rather than face an expensive treatment later down the track.
"If you only go in when you have a problem you're going to face a more expensive treatment, and it's going to take more time," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The link between bad oral health and diseases in the rest of the body is caused by the increase in the rates of bacteria in your mouth when you forget to floss and brush.
"Your mouth is full of good and bad bacteria and when you neglect your oral health that bacteria can go into your bloodstream, it can be swallowed into your gut or inhaled into your lungs," Dr Ravichandran said.
"It's going to either contribute to the development of diseases, or make the conditions you have already worse,
"We know that there are links between mouth and cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, low birth weight in babies and there are more conditions that are being explored and that evidence base is just growing," she said.
Dr Ravichandran's top tips for brushing and flossing:
- Always use a soft toothbrush as it's less wear and tear on tooth enamel and gums and apply just a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing fluoride as it offers protection against decay.
- Brush in the morning after breakfast and again right before bed. Saliva flow is lower overnight, so brushing just before sleep helps protect teeth from residual bacteria.
- Brush at a 45-degree angle towards the base of your teeth and gums with small circular rotations towards the bottom half of teeth and top half of gums to ensure plaque is removed from these areas.
- Brushing only reaches 60% of tooth surfaces so no matter how well you brush, it needs to go hand in hand with daily flossing. Leaving bacteria and food between teeth can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, which if left untreated, can potentially contribute to serious health conditions.
