British Dental Health Foundation Appeals for Better Oral Hygiene
The British Dental Health Foundation has called for better oral hygiene as it launches National Smile Month.
National Smile Month is an annual campaign, which is designed to promote oral health and encourage people to adopt better oral hygiene habits.
Despite knowing that it is advisable to brush the teeth twice a day, research suggests that a quarter of adults brush only once and the BDHF has urged people to go back to basics and brush up on their oral hygiene habits to try and reduce rates of decay and gum disease.
Research carried out by the BDHF has also found that a quarter of adults have not visited the dentist in the last 24 months.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that National Smile Month is an effective means of reminding people how important a healthy, attractive smile is and a great way of encouraging people to think about what they could do to reduce the risk of oral health problems. In addition to oral diseases, a poor oral hygiene routine can also have implications for self-esteem, as people who are unhappy with their smiles are likely to suffer from a lack of confidence, especially when they are in social situations and their smile is under the spotlight.
This year, Dr Carter is encouraging everyone to take a look at their oral hygiene routine and identify ways they can improve it. A good daily regime should include brushing the teeth using fluoridated toothpaste twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. Regular dental visits are also very important and ideally, patients should visit the surgery every six to twelve months.
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