Everybody in the world has differently shaped teeth. No one will ever have the same teeth as you. Your smile is special and unique., which makes looking after your teeth and oral health very important
Oral health is described as the health of the teeth, gums and the entire oral facial system which allows us to speak, smile and chew. The World Health Organisation describes oral health as ‘a state of being free of mouth and facial pain, oral infections and sores’
Oral health conditions are mainly preventable and can usually be treated in their early stages if you a dentist regularly. Having good oral health is very important as it effects how we communicate with each other, it affects what and how we can eat, it effects communication and socialising with other and it affects a person’s self-confidence. Someone with poor oral health may miss time off school or employment which may affect their chances in life.
School nurses can support you to look after your oral health. Some of the ways we do this is by going into schools and teaching you how to keep your teeth healthy. If you have any questions about your oral health you can contact your school nurse via the Chat Health page.
Diet and your teeth
Diet has a huge impact on oral health and healthy eating plays a major role in protecting teeth and gums.
Too much sugar isn’t good for your good for oral health and should be limited to prevent tooth decay.
The government guidelines on how much free sugar we should consume are
- Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes).
- Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes).
- Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes). (NHS 2020)
Free sugars are sugars that are added to drinks and food not natural sugars which are found in fruit and milk.
How much sugar are you consuming each day? Why not try our sugar game
or visit the healthy eating page for more information on a healthy balanced diet
Written by Justine Hickey, School Nurse, Guildford
Top tips to keep your teeth healthy
- brush your teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes each time. You could create a playlist of songs that are 2 minutes long, find a 2 minute video or set a timer to make sure you brush for the right amount of time.
- Have a healthy diet low in sugar avoiding sugary drinks and sweets. It is advised to stick to drinking milk and water
- Floss each day
- Avoid drinking alcohol as it causes the enamel on teeth to erode which may result in needing a filling at the dentist.
- Avoid smoking as it can cause gum disease, tooth loss and stained teeth. Smoking can cause the teeth to turn yellow in a very short time and become brown after prolonged smoking.
Why not try the fun facts tooth quiz
Recent Comments