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When it comes to improving health and wellbeing, people tend to focus on diet and exercise – and rightly so. But oral hygiene barely gets a mention. The link between gum disease and cardiovascular disease is now well established. And there is now emerging evidence of a link between gum disease and Alzheimer’s, so taking good care of your pearly whites is an important part of staying healthy.
You may think you don’t need a lesson in oral hygiene, but a couple of dentists from the University of Dundee suggest that many of us are going about it all wrong. For example, did you know that you shouldn’t rinse after brushing your teeth as you’re simply getting rid of the tooth-protecting fluoride? By spitting (not rinsing) you can reduce tooth decay by up to 25%.
Most people are unhappy with the colour of their teeth. If you’re one of them and you’re considering buying an over-the-counter tooth-whitening kit, you may want to reconsider. Some of these products contain citric acid, which will dissolve the enamel on your teeth. And once the enamel is gone, it can’t be replaced.
Other toothsome tales we saw this year include a dentist in Sudan who is taking an unusual approach to dealing with tooth decay in children. Fadil Elamin shuns injections and drills. Instead, he glues a cap on top of rotting teeth and the bacteria, which can’t survive without oxygen and simply die. Evidence suggests that this technique is just as effective as drilling and filling.
The only crying Elamin heard in his Khartoum dental clinic was when a child’s sibling got a cap and they didn’t. Now that’s something to smile about.
All the best.
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