Healthy teeth are important for our overall health. They help us to smile, speak, bite and chew the food we need to sustain us.
Keeping your teeth healthy will help you to maintain clean, healthy teeth and gums and develop good oral hygiene habits you need throughout your life.
Remember the most important thing is brushing at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
As with deciduous (baby) teeth, the timeline for secondary (permanent) teeth is only a general guide, and many children lose their teeth earlier or later. The order in which the teeth appear is slightly different than with primary teeth - from around 10 years old you will start getting your secondary molars. Later on, most people grow their third molars (wisdom teeth) in their late teens to early 20s.
- You should brush your teeth twice a day for at least 2 minutes, last thing at night before you go to bed and one other time during the day.
- Use toothpaste containing 1350 - 1500ppm (part per millions) fluoride.
- You should spit out any excess toothpaste foam after brushing but don’t rinse, as this rinses the fluoride protection away.
- Don’t brush your teeth straight after eating or drinking as it will wear away the enamel.
- Use a fluoride mouth rinse (alcohol free) every day at a different time to brushing.
- Floss or use an interdental brush to remove food, debris and plaque from between your teeth. You can read about how to floss in the link below.
Diet
- If you are going to eat foods or have drinks containing sugar it is best to keep them for main mealtimes. Lots of foods contain sugar - it’s not just the obvious things like sweets and cakes. Cereals, crisps and yoghurts also contain a lot of sugar so try to reduce the amount of sugary foods and drinks to avoid dental caries/decay.
- Did you know that fizzy drinks are the largest source of sugar intake for 11–19-year-olds? Acidic drinks (and foods) can cause dental erosion.
- Plain water and milk are the best things to drink.
- Tea without sugar is also good for teeth as it contains fluoride.
- It is recommended to only drink fruit juice once a day with a main meal and leave at least a 30-minute gap before toothbrushing (as the acid in juice can weaken the protective enamel on your teeth).
Some tips on cutting down on sugar can be found here.
Lifestyle
- If you play rugby, football, hockey or other contact sports, it is important to use a mouth guard. Speak to your dentist for advice on appropriate mouth guards to protect your teeth and mouth.
- Bad breath (sometimes called halitosis) is very common, the best way of making sure you do not have bad breath is to keep your teeth, tongue and mouth clean, you can usually treat it yourself but speak to your dentist if you are worried.
- Smoking, drugs and alcohol can create serious long-term health problems for your teeth and mouth.
- Smoking increases the risk of gum disease, tobacco use also stains your teeth, tongue, and can cause bad breath. It is also one of the main causes of oral cancer. All forms of tobacco are harmful, this includes paan, betal quid, bidi and shisha.
- E-cigarettes and vapes are used to help cigarette smokers to quit, they may not be as dangerous as normal smoking, but they are still harmful. The best thing to do is to not start smoking or vaping in the first place. If you need support to quit smoking or vaping, you can speak to the public health nurses.
- Drinking excessive alcohol can lead to tooth decay, tooth erosion and gum diseases.
- Drug use can make you more likely to have dental decay, gum disease or oral cancer.
You can read more about lifestyle choices and Oral health on the Derbyshire County Council Teens’ teeth website
- It is free to visit your dentist for a check-up if you are under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education. You can find a dentist local to you, if you don’t already have one.
- You should have regular dental check-ups as advised by the dentist.
- A check-up allows your dentist to see if you have any dental problems and helps you keep your mouth healthy. Leaving problems untreated could make them more difficult to treat in the future, so it's best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them altogether.
- At your dental check-up your dentist should examine your teeth, gums and mouth. They will ask about your general health and any problems you’ve had since your last visit. They will ask about and give advice on your diet, lifestyle choices that can impact your oral health and teeth-cleaning habits.
Braces
- People need braces for lots of reasons. They can help you to bite correctly, eat more comfortably and to care for your teeth and gums more easily.
- Braces can straighten crooked, crowded or protruding teeth, close gaps between teeth, and correct the bite of the teeth so the top and bottom teeth meet when you close your mouth.
- Braces are usually more successful in children and teenagers which is why a lot of people have them while they are younger.
You can find out more about oral health for young people at the Derby and Derbyshire Tooth truth website.