Tips for Good Oral and Overall Health

Oral health is a huge contributor to your overall health and wellbeing. When you’re experiencing pain, missing teeth, or have an oral infection, it can influence the way you speak, eat, and socialize. Here are some ways to promote your physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Seven tips to improve your oral health

1. Work on your brushing.

Excellent brushing is not as easy as you might think. There are roughly 192 surfaces to clean when we brush our teeth. Consider asking your dentist or hygienist for “disclosing solution” to help see how many of those 192 surfaces you reach.

2. Reduce your intake of sugary drinks and make water your drink of choice.

Sugar is one of the main causes of dental problems. It attracts bacteria that can cause diseases that affect the health of your teeth and gums. As a result, consuming sugary drinks may lead to an increased risk of cavities and other issues.

Drinking water keeps you hydrated without added sugars or acids. It also helps your body rinse away the harmful bacteria and acids from eating. Fluoridated drinking water also has added oral health benefits, like protecting your teeth against cavities.

3. Use an ultra-soft bristle toothbrush and replace it every three months.

Soft bristles help clean your teeth and gums without causing added erosion to your enamel and gums.

4. Use a toothpaste with fluoride.

Learn more about how fluoride is a safe, effective method for preventing dental cavities.

5. Floss every day.

Flossing helps prevent the build-up of tartar, which turns into plaque, and can cause a variety of oral health problems.

6. Eat a well-balanced diet, including snacking on cheese, nuts, fruits, and veggies.

A balanced diet is essential to overall health, but did you know that eating cheese can help keep your teeth and gums healthy? Cheese contains casein, which coats your teeth and provides a protective barrier against harmful bacteria and acids.

7. Avoid smoking, vaping, cannabis, or chewing tobacco.

There are a number of serious risks associated with the use of these products, like bad breath, stained teeth, cardiovascular disease, and oral and lung cancers. Learn more about how these products negatively affect your oral health and general wellbeing.

Be Sugar Smart

Remember to read the nutrition facts table and the ingredient list on packaged foods. To help, the Canadian Dental Association has prepared a series of videos about the amount of sugar in some popular snacks: