Oral health
Food and drinks
- Sugary food and drinks are one of the main causes of tooth decay
- Acid is produced when the bacteria in your mouth breaks down the sugar. This acid can dissolve the tooth surface, which is the first stage of tooth decay.
- Some sugars are found naturally in food and drink, such as fruit, honey and milk. The naturally occurring sugar in dried fruit, such as raisins, dates and apricots can also contribute to tooth decay.
- Other foods have sugar added to them which is sometimes called processed food. For example, cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate, and fizzy drinks.
- Try to minimise the amount and the frequency you and your family have sugary food and drinks
- Especially avoid sugary foods and drinks at bedtime when saliva flow is lowest. Saliva flow helps to ‘buffer’ against sugars giving protection
Brushing your teeth
- Teeth should be cleaned twice a day - last thing at night (before bedtime) and on one other occasion
- Make sure you clean all the surfaces of all teeth (inside surfaces, outside surfaces and chewing surfaces). This should take about 2 minutes
- Spit out after brushing and don't rinse – if you rinse, the fluoride in the toothpaste doesn’t work as well
- When children are young (under 7 years old), teeth should be brushed by a parent or carer. As the child gets older, a parent or carer can support children to learn to brush their own teeth
Trips to the dentist
- NHS dental care is free for those under 18 years old; for pregnant women and those receiving low-income benefits
- Book regular check-ups with your dentist for you and your family. Do not put off going – finding problems early means problems are easier to treat
- It is especially important to take children to the dentist for regular check-ups whilst their teeth are developing.