5 ways to stay on top of your dental health

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I know first hand the importance of dental care and hygiene, I myself have struggled over the past few years, especially while pregnant when I had flare-ups of gum disease, this was mainly due to the hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy and despite doing my best to keep it at bay it was a pregnancy side effect I had to deal with and affects up to 70% of expecting women, unfortunately, affected my gums and weakened some of my teeth.

Prevention, as they say, is always better than a cure and I have been working with my dentist and hygienist to get my teeth and gums back to a healthy place and of course, this is something I also naturally encourage with my kids. Did you know that bad oral health has been linked to other serious diseases such as heart diseases, strokes and Alzheimer's which means keeping on top of things is even more important  With life being so hectic these days it can be so easy to fall out of routine so I thought I would share 5 simple tips to ensure good oral health.

1. Avoid Sugar - Sugar without a doubt is one of the biggest attributing factors to tooth decay and by simply shifting some of our eating habits you can really reduce your sugar intake which is not only healthy for your teeth but your whole body.

2. Invest in a better toothbrush  - a while back I switched to a bamboo toothbrush as I am very keen to make as ethical choices as possible but after a year my hygienist noticed that I was leaving more plague behind than usual. I found personally for me bamboo brushes just aren't firm enough and I was recommended to switch to an electric toothbrush and I haven't looked back 
 
3. Floss - we really need to start seeing flossing as important as brushing. Not only does it help to get those niggly pieces of food from between our teeth but also helps reduce plague and lower inflammation of the gums.


4. Drink more water - water is without a doubt the best drink for overall health, including oral health. Drinking water after every meal can also help to wash out some of the acidic foods between brushing.

5. Visit your dentist twice a year - keeping on top of your dental check-ups is really important! It means any issues that are starting to arise can be dealt with quickly before they turn into something far worse.

It really doesn't have to be anything drastic but these small daily changes can have a huge impact on your dental health.