We’re a laid-back bunch, but a little too laid-back when it comes to caring for our teeth.
New research in Australia has found that close to half (47 per cent) of surveyed young women (aged 24-35) brush their teeth once a day if that, and admit to having “poor” oral health.
Of the 1007 surveyed by Colgate, only 8 per cent said they had “excellent” oral health.
It’s a revelation that may explain why 22 per cent of Australian adults have gum disease while up to 23 per cent have tooth decay, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Dr Susan Cartwright says she is surprised that young women seem to be the worst dental care offenders, given their tendency to be “conscious of their appearance”.
“I’m not sure of the reasoning except the idea that you might be bulletproof,” says Cartwright, Colgate’s scientific affairs manager.
“Often young people drop out of practice until they get a problem – and often it’s a severe problem; often life gets in the way.”
It apparently gets in the way so much that about half of us don’t get regular dental check-ups (regular only being once or twice a year, according to Cartwright).
This may come down to a perception that going to the dentist is like going to the doctor – you don’t need to go unless you have an issue.
Cartwright insists this is not the case.
“It’s about preventing problems,” she explains, adding that gum disease is often completely painless until it’s too late and teeth start to become loose.
At that point, when teeth need to be replaced by implants, about 50 per cent of people get a recurrence of gum disease around the implant, Cartwright says.
“Getting implants is not as good as keeping the original teeth in good condition,” she says. “It may seem like [dentists are] not doing much, but you can reverse gum disease in the early stages.”
“I guess you can,” Cartwright says. “If you’re scrubbing four times a day, you could wear away the enamel.
“What’s really important with tooth-brushing is a soft brush. You don’t need to be scrubbing hard – just gently disturbing the plaque.”
Food Matters
“If you have a lot of acid in your diet, it weakens the structure [of the tooth],” Cartwright explains. “Diet soft drinks have more acid. Things like lemon tea seem healthy, but are quite acidic.”
Other factors that can weaken the teeth include gord and pregnancy, which can result in acid reflux into the mouth.
“Grinding also wears away the structure,” Cartwright says.
When Brushing is Best
“The last thing you need to do at night is brush your teeth,” says Cartwright, who adds that if we don’t we potentially leave the residue of whatever we have eaten on them.
“During the night, there is less saliva in your mouth so there is less protection,” she says, noting that electric toothbrushes are better at removing plaque.
Saliva protects our teeth with its minerals, buffering them and washing away plaque.
“That’s the time you really need to do it,” she says, “but twice a day is definitely best.”
Floss Off
“There’s debate about flossing,” Cartwright says. Research shows “it doesn’t really help prevent tooth decay, but what they’re not saying is that it does help with gum disease”
Source: Stuff
