All About Oral Hygiene

Melissa Jane Cook cuts her teeth on good oral healthcare habits, chews the steps to prevent cavities, brushes gently with the first trip to the dentist and spits out the truth about flossing and fluoride

- Melissa Jane Cook

Good oral health is essential to general health and the well-being of every individual. Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things a parent can do for their child’s teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing and eating healthily, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.

THE NIBBLERS OF ORAL HYGIENE

Oral hygiene is simply the practice of keeping your mouth and teeth clean. Proper dental care and oral hygiene begins before a baby’s first tooth appears. Just because you can’t see the teeth it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Teeth actually begin to form in the second trimester of pregnancy. At birth, your baby has 20 primary teeth, some of which are fully developed in the jaw.

ORAL OGRES: CAVITIES AND GUM DISEASE

Cathy Makobe, dentist and lecturer at the University of Pretoria says, “Cavities are holes that are formed when bacteria (germs) in your mouth use the sugar in food to make acid. Acid collects on a tooth, softening its enamel until a hole – or cavity – forms. Cavities are common in children, but good tooth care can prevent this.”

We are all at risk for cavities if we eat a lot of sugary foods, such as chocolates, biscuits and sweets, and drink a lot of sweet liquids such as fruit juice, soda and sweetened drinks. To avoid cavities, have meals and snacks at regular times. Teeth friendly snacks include fresh fruits and vegetables, and cheese and crackers.