In today’s busy world, taking time to look after yourself has never been more challenging. Many Australian’s are living with increasingly hectic daily routines and are constantly juggling work, family and personal commitments. It can be very difficult to then also find the time to eat well, get active and take care of both our general and oral health. Too often we “put off” caring for ourselves when we get busy.
So this year, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) has taken Oral Health for Busy Lives as its theme for Dental Health Week. The aim of this year’s campaign is to help you appreciate that, no matter how busy you are or where you are in life, there are ways to fit caring for your teeth and gums into an already-overcrowded diary.
Each year Medland Dental helps to support and promote the ADA’s Dental Health Week campaign so in the practice, as well as on our website and Facebook we will be focusing on tips and tricks to help make maintaining your oral health as simple and time effective as possible:
A recent survey commissioned by the Australian Dental Association, revealed that currently only 51% of Australians brush twice-a-day, only 17% floss regularly, and only 35% visit their dentist at the recommended frequency.
These are worrying statistics given the already high prevalence of dental disease in Australia, with Queensland being one of the states most heavily affected. Dental disease is one of the most common diseases in Australia and is also, mostly preventable.
The consequences of dental disease unfortunately can be very time consuming to manage, particularly the longer it is left untreated. Debilitating toothaches and unexpected emergencies usually lead to unscheduled and unwelcome time away from work and family time. It also often leads to loss of sick leave or annual leave as time off is spent suffering from or resolving these more complicated dental problems
Dental disease can also have life long health effects. Many people think of dental disease as an isolated condition, in reality poor oral health can have serious consequences that affect the whole body. For example periodontal disease, a condition of the gums that affects many Australians, has established links to cardiovascular health, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and stroke.
When there is always so much to do, it is tempting to put caring for your teeth and gums on the back-burner. But by maintaining a simple but effective home care regimen (just a few minutes every day) and regular active maintenance by a dental professional, a lifetime of good oral health is an achievable goal for most Australians, compared to a lifetime of dental problems.