Teething Issues

Brush twice a day with the occasional floss? Good for you. But as experts reveal, giving your mouth a little extra TLC could be a major win for your health. So sit back, relax and get clued-up

There’s nothing quite like a self-care Sunday: leafing through a new book, stocking up the fridge, maybe even a facial. But, we’ll take a guess that your teeth and gums don’t factor highly at all. Beyond the twice-daily clean and a swill of mouthwash – if our gnashers are lucky – we’re not great at prioritising oral health. And the negative impact of that goes beyond a yellowish tinge blamed on years of sipping lattes.

DOWN IN THE MOUTH

Did you know that 90 percent of the world’s population will suffer from oral diseases in their lifetime? It’s clear that our mouths are much further down the pecking order than they should be. And the issues this causes aren’t limited to your gob. “You cannot consider yourself to be in good health if you do not enjoy good oral health,” says dentist Dr Norman Cahi. “Oral health is intrinsically linked to systemic health and numerous scientific studies have proven there’s a direct link between poor oral health (particularly gum disease) and pre-term births, as well as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” he explains. Gum disease can be recognised by swollen, puffy, deep-red gums and painful or bleeding gums as well as halitosis and loose teeth. “It’s an inflammatory disease and tests have shown that inflammation biomarkers found in both gum disease and jaw-bone disease can be linked to heart inflammation too,” says Cahi.