#WOHD20; #UniteForMouthHealth

World Oral Health Day, organized by FDI World Dental Federation, is celebrated every year on 20 March. It’s the largest global awareness campaign on oral health and each year it focuses on a specific theme. The theme for the 2020 campaign is “Say Ahh: Unite for Mouth Health”. So, this World Oral Health Day, we want everyone to make a pledge for oral health. Through everyone’s collective pledges and efforts, we hope to reduce the burden of oral disease worldwide.

Whatever your age, taking care of your mouth is crucial for your general health and well-being. Yet half the people in the world suffer from oral diseases such as tooth decay and gum disease, which can affect all the things we take for granted, like eating, speaking and smiling.

Brushing the right way is really important for a healthy mouth. Brush your teeth for two minutes, twice a day, using a fluoride toothpaste. Follow the right brushing technique i.e., brushing in circular motions – not back and forth.

Brushing your teeth with an old, frayed toothbrush won’t clean your teeth properly. The average life of a toothbrush is about 3 months.

Interdental cleaners help you reach those difficult areas between your teeth. Regular cleaning helps to dislodge food and may reduce gum disease and bad breath by removing plaque that forms along the gum line.

There are so many important things to fit into our busy lives, make sure an appointment to visit the dentist is one of them. You may have avoided dentists in the past because you think it is going to be a scary experience. Just remember, it’s a dentist’s job to keep you safe and healthy – they play a crucial role in maintaining your overall health. Pledge to replace any reasons to say NO with a decision to GO!

The best way to protect your mouth is by going to the dentist for regular check-ups and dental cleanings. The dental team will remove any build-up of plaque, which if not managed, can lead to tooth decay. They can also advise on how regularly you need to book an appointment, depending on your specific needs.

•Just like other major diseases, prevention, early detection and treatment are important in keeping your teeth and mouth healthy, and to stop any potential negative effects on the rest of your body. Even better, when you work together with your dentist, you may avoid needing any treatment at all. Dentists will help you keep your mouth healthy your whole life.
•PLEDGE TO cut down on sugar in your diet . Too many sugary foods and drinks are bad for everyone – they are the number one cause of tooth decay. As adults, we should be having no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar daily, for children it’s 3.
•PLEDGE TO avoid tobacco. Tobacco in any form, smoking or smokeless, is unsafe. Tobacco increases the risk of gum disease and oral cancer, and causes teeth staining, bad breath, premature tooth loss, and loss of taste and smell. Don’t risk your life for it – pledge to give it up.
•PLEDGE TO limit alcohol use Drinking too much alcohol is a major risk factor for a lot of diseases, including oral diseases. The acid and high sugar content of most alcoholic drinks can erode your teeth, causing dental caries. Alcohol can also cause cancers of the mouth and gum disease. Pledge to limit how much alcohol you drink – reach for water instead!
•Keeping your mouth healthy is essential for your general health and well-being. An unhealthy mouth can cause discomfort and pain making it difficult to eat and drink, act your confidence in social situations, stop you from going to school or work, and be linked with other serious health problems. In other words, an unhealthy mouth reduces your enjoyment of life. That’s why, this World Oral Health Day, we are asking everyone to make a pledge to look after their oral health and inspire others to do the same.