Keep Dementia at Bay with Proper Interdental Care

Dental Health & Dementia – Keep Dementia at Bay with Proper Interdental Care | AD

Our smiles and our teeth are so important to us. Smiling can boost our immune systems, improve self-esteem, and reduce stress. Looking after our smiles with a good dental hygiene routine is a very important aspect of caring for our health in many ways.

Of course, most of us want a nice, healthy smile with teeth that we are proud of but dental care is so much more than just what’s going on in our mouths. Did you know that bacteria from gum disease and infections in the mouth can travel through the bloodstream to the brain and negatively impact brain health? A recent study found that older adults who have signs of gum disease and mouth infections are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s which is the most common cause of dementia.

Good oral hygiene will not only prolong healthy teeth and gums but also help our brains age better and help ward off dementia. A good routine requires a little bit of effort but only takes a few minutes every day and will pay off in the short term and the long term.

A key part of a good dental hygiene routine is to clean properly between the teeth. Dental hygienist Hannah Ripley from Zandielle Dental Clinic recommends to clean between the teeth first, then brushing your teeth, then cleaning your tongue and not rinsing afterwards. You can use your toothbrush to clean your tongue or a specific tongue cleaner if you prefer. It’s recommended to brush the tongue surface for 15-30 seconds after cleaning your teeth. The tongue can harbour about 50% of the bacteria in your mouth so it’s a good idea to ensure it gets a good clean too to help prevent cavities and gum disease.

Electric toothbrushes are more effective at removing plaque and bacteria so are a great investment if you haven’t got one yet. They also usually have built-in timers to ensure that you’re brushing for long enough. But a toothbrush alone cleans just 60% of the tooth which is not enough. Only 31% of us clean between the teeth on a regular basis which is a surprising number! To reach the areas that our toothbrushes cannot get to, oral hygiene products like the floss picks and interdental brushes by DenTek are a must. I especially love their eco-friendly range! I use interdental products nearly every day now and my teeth and mouth feel so much cleaner.

Brush up your oral hygiene routine and make sure you are cleaning between your teeth for a healthy smile (and brain!) now and in the future!

DenTek products are available at Boots, Amazon, Lloyds Pharmacy, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, Superdrug, Weldricks Pharmacy and through the DenTek website.

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