If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

Taking good care of your mouth and teeth throughout your whole life can help prevent problems as you get older. Taking care of your teeth means brushing and flossing every day and seeing the dentist regularly.

Path to improved health

A healthy mouth is more important than you might think. Consider everything you expect your mouth to do each day. You use your mouth to eat, to smile, to speak, and more. Poor oral health can affect all these things.

Having a healthy mouth, teeth, and gums can also have overall health benefits. Systemic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are improved with better dental health.

Good oral health isn’t hard to achieve but it does take discipline. Use these tips for a lifetime of taking care of your mouth and teeth.

Infants and children

The first set of teeth is already almost completely formed at birth. At first these teeth are “hiding” under the gums. These teeth are important, because after they come in, they let your baby chew food and talk well. Your baby’s first set of teeth also holds the space where permanent teeth will eventually be. They help permanent teeth grow in straight. You can care for your baby’s teeth by following these suggestions:

• Clean the new teeth every day. When the teeth first come in, clean them by rubbing them gently with a clean wet washcloth. When the teeth are bigger, use a child’s toothbrush.
• Limit the use of pacifiers. They can worsen oral health and affect how teeth grow in.
• Don’t let your baby go to sleep with a bottle. This can leave milk or juice sitting on the teeth and cause cavities that are known as “baby-bottle tooth decay.”
• Children under 3 years of age shouldn’t use toothpaste. Instead, use water to brush your child’s teeth, unless there is a risk for tooth decay.
• Teach your children how to brush their teeth and the importance of keeping their teeth clean. Make sure they brush their tongue, too. Also make sure they spit out all toothpaste and don’t swallow it.
• Take your children to the dentist regularly. The Canadian Dental Association recommends that children see their dentist starting at 1 year of age.
• Encourage older children to eat low-sugar snacks, such as fruits, cheese and vegetables. Avoid giving your child sticky, chewy candy.

Teens

Continued oral care is important as your children become teens. They now have adult (permanent) teeth. Helping them take good care of their mouth and teeth will help you have pleasant breath, a nice smile and fewer cavities. Here are some simple things they can do:

• Brush their teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss their teeth at least once a day.
• Don’t smoke or chew tobacco, which can stain teeth, give bad breath and cause cancer.
• Wear the right protective headgear while playing contact sports.
• See your dentist every 6 months for regular check-ups and cleanings.

Adults

Continuing good mouth and tooth care as an adult can help you avoid tooth loss, painful gums or other problems. Here are some helpful things you can do:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss your teeth at least once a day.
• Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
• Ask your healthcare provider if your medicines have side effects that might damage your teeth. (For example, some medicines may cause you to have a dry mouth.)
• Look inside your mouth regularly for sores that don’t heal, irritated gums, or other changes.
• See your dentist every 6 months for regular check-ups and cleanings.

If you have any problems with your teeth or concerns about your mouth, see your healthcare provider or dentist right away.

Things to consider

When you don’t regularly take good care of your teeth and mouth, you could experience the following problems:

Cavities are caused by tooth decay. Your teeth can decay when you don’t brush and floss them regularly to get leftover food off of them. If left untreated, cavities can cause tooth pain, can cause your tooth to become infected, and can even lead to tooth loss.

Gum disease happens when plaque collects along your gum line. Gum disease is an infection of the tissue that supports your teeth. It can cause teeth to become loose over time. There is also evidence that gum disease is related to heart disease. Experts aren’t sure if gum disease makes you more likely to have heart disease or vice versa.

Smoking, chewing tobacco, and alcohol can increase your risk for oral cancer (cancer in your mouth). Poor oral hygiene alone may not increase your risk for oral cancer. When you combine it with any other risk factor, though, it dramatically boosts your chances of getting cancer.

When your teeth aren’t clean, you have bad breath. Bad breath can make you feel uncomfortable at work, school, and in social situations. This can make you reluctant to participate. Longtime poor oral health can result in tooth loss, which can make you smile less. All of these things can damage your self-esteem, or how you see yourself.

If you have mouth or tooth pain, don’t ignore it. See a dentist. The longer you wait, the worse it could be for your mouth.

Also, see your dentist twice a year to get your teeth cleaned.