Dental Health Tracking Tips from Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants

In August each year, Australia celebrates the Australian Dental Associations, Dental Health Week; the week intended to be dedicated to all issues surrounding dental health.

In 2019, this week falls from 5th to 11th.

In the previous years, the themes have been as general as ‘oral health’, and more specific such as women’s oral health, oral hygiene and diet, and oral hygiene and sport.

This year, the topic is another general one – “How’s Your Oral Health Tracking?” Which means two things; first, how is your oral health doing in a broad sense, and second, how well are you keeping track of it?

And these are important questions for the busiest among us, but they are also important questions for those among us who are youngest and oldest.

In these populations, it can be challenging to keep track of dental hygiene and health.

So, this Dental Health Week your friends at Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants are going to discuss how to ensure the dental health of seniors and children stays on track, and how you can help!

Dental Health Week and Children

Children have to have oral hygiene explained and demonstrated to them.

Dental Health Week is a great time for you to take a look at your children’s oral hygiene and dental health while also helping them get ‘on track’ for a lifetime of great smiles and health.

The Dental Health Week website has downloads of colourful posters containing simple information helpful for children.

Topics include oral hygiene for children and posters discussing the dangers of highly acidic and highly sugared drinks.

This is particularly important, as studies show that 73% of Australian children consume too much sugar. Sugar is the primary food for bacteria, which causes tooth decay.

Controlling sugar intake and knowing how to deal with sugary food is critical to a child’s oral and general health.

The information also contains helpful oral hygiene hints for parents or caregivers who take care of children:

1. Begin oral hygiene as soon as possible. Brushing can begin on the baby’s gums.
2. Spit out toothpaste, do not rinse out the mouth with water.
3. Don’t use too much toothpaste. A ‘pea-sized’ amount is all you need.
4. Make brushing fun! Use songs or smartphones to liven brushing up.
5. Visit the dentist early as soon as teeth show up or by the first birthday.
6. Use positive reinforcement during dental appointments. Praise your child on how well they listen and follow instructions.
7. One clue your child can brush their teeth solo is if they have received their ‘pen licence’ at school.

Dental Health Week and Seniors

Seniors often have an entirely different problem. They know what they should do to maintain their oral health, but circumstances make it harder and harder to keep their oral hygiene at an optimal level.

They need to track (or be tracked) to ensure that their oral hygiene has the effect it should have.

As we get older, our immune systems become less effective at battling bacteria, germs, infections etc.

This means that oral health issues that might once have been minor can quickly become something more, as the body doesn’t shrug them off as easily as it might have once done.

Because it can be easier for seniors to lose control of their oral hygiene and then their dental health, and this can lead to catastrophic consequences, there are common dental issues that seniors (and their dentists) should keep an eye out for.

• Darkened teeth
• Dry mouth
• Diminished sense of taste
• Root decay
• Gum disease
• Tooth loss
• Uneven jawbone/teeth
• Oral lesions

Any of these problems should mean a quick trip to the dentist. And even seniors without teeth should visit Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants regularly.

Why? Because oral cancer rates increase with age and are most effectively caught early by dental exams. Early detection is key to defeating oral cancer, so keep those visits up!

The importance of strong tracking for seniors is amplified because their habits are adversely affected by:

• Decreased coordination and manual dexterity
• Reduced income leading to fewer dental visits
• Reduced transportation options leading to fewer dental visits
• Decreased memory makes good oral habits harder to maintain.

For all of these reasons, seniors should keep close track of their dental habits, and if they cannot do so, their loved ones do it for them.

Take advantage of this Dental Health Week to be sure that all your oral hygiene habits are on track.

Smiles at Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants!

At Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants, we believe everyone deserves high-quality dentistry, and we are here to help you achieve this.

Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants is a multi-surgery practice taking care of the oral health needs of the communities.

At Sayers Dental Aesthetics & Implants, our focus remains on providing patients with exceptional General, Orthodontics and Implant dentistry.

We have a particular expertise in implants, orthodontics, and smile rejuvenation via veneers, crowns, and bridges while also dealing with unexpected dental emergencies we all dread.

FREE Kids Dental

Consultation Medicare Bulk Bill for eligible children (up to $1000)

Call us on (03) 9749 1178 or request your appointment online.

We are located at 483 Sayers Road in Hoppers Crossing.