This year’s theme is ‘Feed Your Smile’ 😁 What you eat and drink has a huge impact on your teeth and gums, either helping to protect them or causing damage.
💥 Acid attacks: Sugary foods and drinks fuel the plaque bacteria in your mouth, producing acids that weaken tooth enamel and cause tooth decay.
🍅 Nutrient deficiencies: A lack of vitamins and minerals can make gums more susceptible to infection and slow down the body’s ability to repair damage.
🤤 Saliva production: A healthy diet stimulates saliva, which helps to neutralise acids in the mouth, remove food particles stuck in the teeth, and remineralise enamel.
⚠️Remember:
- Brush your teeth for two minutes, last thing at night and in the morning, using a fluoride toothpaste.
- Spit out the toothpaste, don’t rinse your mouth afterwards.
- Reduce the amount and frequency of sugar consumed.
- Visit the dentist regularly as often as they recommend.
Oral health in pregnancy
Keeping your gums and teeth healthy is important for all adults, however during pregnancy some women can get swollen and sore gums, which may bleed. Bleeding gums are caused by a build-up of plaque on the teeth. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make your gums more vulnerable to plaque, leading to inflammation and bleeding. This is also called pregnancy gingivitis or gum disease. For more information on keeping teeth and gums healthy in pregnancy please click here
For more information, the Health for Under 5's website which can be found here