A sound oral hygiene goes a long way beyond keeping your teeth healthy. Studies confirm that people with poor dental health often suffer from the following problems:

• Low self-esteem.
• Difficulty in finding jobs.
• Speech problems.
• Malnutrition.
• Difficulty in part-taking and performing well in school.

Poor oral health may also lead to dental infections which in turn may trigger cancer. Proper brushing and flossing of the teeth everyday are a great way to maintain an excellent oral health. It is also important to go for routine visits to your Smile 4 U Dentist Croydon on regular basis.

Poor oral hygiene in children

Early childhood caries (ECC) is also known as baby bottle syndrome. It is a typical dental problem found among children. At the initial stages of this problem, you will notice white spots close to the gum line in your child’s mouth. As the condition deteriorates, the spots turn brown. This problem needs to be treated as early as possible.

Cause and prevention

ECC develops due to leftover sugar on your child’s teeth. This sugar may come from various sources including milk, food or juice. A top children dentistry specialist in London offers the following tips to protect your child from the baby bottle syndrome.

• Make sure that your children are bottle-fed only at meal times.
• You should never put your child to sleep with a bottle next to it to avoid the teeth coming in contact with sugar present in the drink.
• Even before their teeth erupt, take routine care of their mouth by wiping the gums with a soft, clean cloth twice every day.
• Use a soft-bristled brush to wipe the baby teeth, once they erupt.
• It’s better not to expose them to toothpaste till they’re old enough to spit it out.
• Else, it may lead them to a dental condition called fluorosis which is caused due to excess intake of fluoride which will make their teeth look grainy.
• Stop feeding your child from the bottle once he or she is 1-year old and use spill-proof or sippy cups instead.

Oral health concerns for women

Women have different oral health concerns at different stages of their life.

• In their teenage years, when they first start menstruating, they will suffer from swollen gums and oral sores during periods.
• Unlike the men, it’s more important for women to maintain excellent oral health in their early adulthood. Else, they may develop periodontal diseases which fuel the chances of premature birth and abnormally low birth weight of babies.
• In pregnant women, progesterone and other hormone levels are usually high. This makes them prone to gum infections, too little or excessive saliva secretion and tumour-like growth on the gums called granulomas. To avoid these unwanted complications, it is important to see your dentist on regular basis when you are pregnant.
• When a woman reaches menopause, the estrogen level in the body drops down which makes them prone to periodontal disease and burning mouth syndrome.

Oral health concerns for older adults

Our emergency dentist at Smile 4 U Dental Practice says that at an advanced age, your chewing ability gradually diminishes, especially if you have lost teeth or living on dentures. Saliva secretion also diminishes when you are older. Certain medication may also make your mouth go dry. A dry mouth makes swallowing difficult. Moreover, dry mouth leads to growth of bacteria in the mouth, leading to bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. To overcome a dry mouth, take sips of water every 15 minutes during the day. This will wash away any bacteria present in your mouth.