Oral Health
This page is about oral health and gives advice and support to help you take care of your teeth and mouth. Remember, your oral health is a key part of your overall health.
Oral health means the condition of your mouth, including your teeth, tongue, and cheeks. It helps you eat, breathe, and speak. Good oral health can boost your confidence, improve your wellbeing, and let you socialise and work without pain.
If your mouth and teeth are unhealthy, it can cause pain, trouble sleeping and eating, and cavities (holes in your teeth). It can also lead to gum disease and might mean you need to have teeth removed by a dentist or in a hospital.
Prevention
The good news is that you can take steps to protect your own oral health and others that you may care for.
- Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste (this is most often in the morning and last thing at night).
- Try reducing your sugary food and drink consumption.
- Adults should clean between their teeth every day.
- Register with a dentist and visit every 6 months or as they advise.
For more preventative information and advice on oral health visit Prevention and advice
If you would like further information and advice relating to healthy foods to support your oral health, please visit our Healthy eating page.
Early Years
It is important to keep babies and children’s teeth and mouths healthy. Starting early will help prevent painful teeth and gums and will help them develop good habits for life. You should start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth starts to come through.
Breastfeeding up to the age of 12 months is linked to a decreased risk of teeth going bad. For more information and advice on breastfeeding visit our Positive about breastfeeding page.
Advice
- Brush your child’s teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, usually once in the morning and again at night.
- After brushing your child’s teeth, have them spit but not rinse, as this keeps the fluoride protection
- Register and take your child to the dentist when their first tooth appears and continue with regular visits.
- Cut down on sugary foods and drinks like fizzy drinks and fruit juice.
For additional advice and support, visit our Best start in life page
Toothpaste
- For children under three, use just a smear of toothpaste.
- Children between three and six years old should use a pea sized amount of toothpaste.
- Parents or carers should supervise tooth brushing until the child is seven.
- Some of the early years or educational settings in Somerset have supervised toothbrushing schemes. For more information, talk to your early years provider or school nurse.
Fluoride Varnishing
Fluoride varnish is a liquid or gel with a high concentration of fluoride. A thin layer is applied directly to the teeth, where it hardens and releases fluoride into the enamel. This mineral helps strengthen tooth enamel, making teeth more resistant to decay.
For more information on the benefits of fluoride varnishing for your child’s teeth or to check eligibility for schemes in Somerset, please speak to your Health Visitor. The role of a health visitor is to provide support and advice on health and well-being for families with young children.
Adults
Keeping adult teeth and mouths healthy is important for your overall health and wellbeing.
You can improve your oral health and avoid tooth loss by:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste (recommended 1000-1500 ppm)
- Clean between your teeth every day (flossing). Find out more on the NHS website – Why should I use interdental brushes?
- Have a well-balanced diet, which is low in sugar, high in fruit and vegetables
- Increase you water intake
- Stop all use of tobacco, including chewing of areca nuts
- Reduce your alcohol content
- Consider the effects of any drug use
- Use protective equipment when doing sports or traveling on a bike to reduce the risk of facial injuries
Saliva helps reduce acid build-up, but at night, your mouth does not produce as much. So, it is important to brush your teeth before bed and avoid eating anything afterwards.
For more information and advice on taking care of your teeth and gums, visit NHS – Take care of your teeth and gums
Older Adults
Keeping your teeth and mouth healthy as you age is important and can prevent pain and discomfort and difficulties eating and drinking.
Carers play a vital role in helping adults with additional needs maintain good mouth care. Preparation and brushing technique are key. For example, supporting the person’s head and then carefully working your way around their mouth while brushing can make a big difference.
Even if you no longer have any teeth, it is still important to clean food and bacteria from your mouth every day. You should use a soft brush to clean the gums, cheeks and tongue.
Denture care includes:
- Removing them at night
- Checking for chips
- Storing them in a container
- Rinsing before reinserting
Toothbrushes
Some people may have difficulty brushing their teeth and could benefit from using a different kind of brush.
There are different types of brushes available, manual brushes, electric brushes with a rotating action and three-sided brushes which can brush all three surfaces at once. Toothbrushes can also be adapted to meet individual needs.
Caring for someone else's teeth
If you have someone relying on your care, you may be able to access a free oral health improvement webinar, for more information on these webinars, eLearning and resources visit The Learning Centre.
This Oral Health Training Toolkit contains information around promoting good oral hygiene as well as useful links, training resources and e-learning modules.