Did You Know?

Interesting Dental Facts...

• Natural beauty starts with a healthy smile.
• Colds and flus can be transferred via a toothbrush.
• It takes 2 to 3 minutes to clean your teeth effectively.
• Smoking can significantly damage your oral health: bad breath, stained teeth, bone loss shrinking gums, mouth sores. Smokers have seven times the risk of developing gum disease compared to non-smokers.*
• Severe gum disease affects about 14% of adults aged 45 to 54.*
• Drink fluoridated water and use fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride's protection against dental decay works for all ages.
• By age 17, 78% of young people have had a cavity, and 7% have lost at least one permanent tooth.*
• Among adults aged 35 to 44, 69% have lost at least one permanent tooth.*
• Among adults aged 65 to 74, 26% have lost all of their natural teeth.*

*Facts provided by the Centers for Disease Control. From the Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (May 2000).

Seven-Point Plan for Good Oral Health*

• Brush teeth twice a day using fluoride toothpaste - once before going to bed and at another time. Brush systematically, ensuring that all tooth surfaces receive attention.
• Don't rinse your mouth with large volumes of water. Rinsing should be brief and done with only small amounts of water. Young children should be encouraged to spit out excess toothpaste.
• Children's tooth brushing should be supervised closely. Only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste should be used by minors.
• Choose the right toothpaste. Look for the ADA Seal of Approval.
• Parents and guardians should start brushing their children's teeth as soon as the primary teeth start to grow. The earlier brushing commences after this time, the more beneficial it is.
• The best toothbrushes have small heads and soft, round-ended filaments in a compact, angled arrangement. Look for a combination of long and short filaments, as these ensure better cleaning in hard-to-reach places.
• To improve levels of plaque control and improve the health of gums, choose toothpaste that contain triclosan with either copolymer or zinc citrate.

*Information obtained from the British Dental Association.

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