Oral Hygiene Instructions and Nutritional Counselling
Oral Hygiene Instructions
Healthy habits can equal a healthy mouth. Here are some oral health tips to get you started:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day
- Floss everyday
- Visit your dentist or a dental exam and cleaning at least every 6 months, or as recommended
- Check your gums to make sure they’re pink and that the gum line hugs teeth tightly. Your gums should not bleed when you brush.
- Stop smoking. Smoking puts you at risk for oral cancer and infection.
Nutritional Counselling
Nutritional counseling is a very important part of a preventative dental care plan. Our dental team takes good nutrition extremely seriously as we know it is vital for healthy teeth and gums. Our dental practice offers nutritional counseling to parents and caregivers as we can evaluate your child’s diet and will recommend ways to improve it. Often these recommendations will be simple and straightforward and easy to implement, but they could make the world of difference to your child’s dental and overall health.
SENSIBLE FOOD CHOICES:
- Eat a nutritious and balanced diet of grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and low-fat dairy.
- Check food labels for "hidden" sugars. Especially flavoured milk and yogurts.
- Avoid sugary foods that stay in your mouth for a long time, like hard, sticky or chewy varieties of candy.
- Limit between-meal snacks.
- Offer healthy snacks, such as cheese, fruits, yogurt, peanut butter, chocolate milk and sugarless gum.
- Save your sugary treats for the end of a meal or before a tooth-brushing session, rather than throughout the day.
- Substitute water for sugar-laden sodas and fruit juices.
