National Smile Month - May 19 - June 19 2014

It all started in 1977 and was then called Smile77 project, the aim was to address the lack of interest people had in looking after their teeth, in 1977 one in three people had none of their natural teeth!

The Key Messages are:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Visit the dentist regularly, as often as they recommend
• Cut down on the frequency of sugary foods and drinks.

National Smile Month research revealed on average four out of every five people in the UK do not think poor oral health is related to other illnesses like:

Dementia,

Heart disease,

Strokes,

Complications during pregnancy,

and also male sexual health problems.

They questioned more than 2000 people and found that:

• 83 % did not recognise that poor oral health could be linked to pneumonia
• 82% were not aware of its connection with colon cancer.
• 79% did not think strokes and poor oral health were linked
• 90 % of people did not think dementia and oral health are linked too!
• 40% thought heart problems could be brought on by poor oral health.

The Oral Health Month website is very comprehensive and full of top oral health tips, I have picked just a few, more interesting facts and other information can be found at www.nationalsmilemHYPERLINK "http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/"oHYPERLINK "http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/"nth.org

A diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fresh fruit and vegetables can help to prevent gum disease

To test if you have bad breath, simply lick the inside of your wrist, let it dry and sniff. If the smell is bad, you can be fairly sure you have bad breath

Cold sores are infectious and the infecting virus can be passed to other people by close contact (such as kissing). A cold sore is most infectious when it is blistering. It is important to try and avoid touching cold sores as you can pass the virus on to other people’s hands and even, very rarely, to your own eyes. Avoid squeezing, pinching or pricking the cold sore as this can spread the infection

If you wear dentures, the general rule is: brush, soak, brush. Always clean your dentures over a bowl of water or a folded towel in case you drop them. Brush your dentures before soaking, to help remove any food debris. Using an effervescent (fizzy) denture cleaner will help remove stubborn stains and leave your denture feeling fresher

Still water and milk are good choices. It is better for your teeth if you drink fruit juices just at meal times. If you are drinking them between meals, try diluting them with water and rinsing your mouth with water after drinking. Drinking through a straw can help the drink go to the back of your mouth without touching your teeth
Rachael