Partner Article

Poor dental hygiene habits could make you sick

With five leading dental and cosmetic clinics, Tracey Bell knows a thing or two about the state of her clients’ oral health.

Tracey has a reputation for being passionate about preserving and enhancing her patients’ smiles, helping people to get into good oral health habits.

Tracey explained: “Often people wait to come and see the dentist until they’re in pain or they chip a tooth. It’s tempting to put off seeing your dentist or hygienist until something’s obviously wrong. However, there’s a mounting body of evidence to suggest that regular check-ups and hygienists appointments are vital, not just to saving your smile, but to safeguarding your health.”

Recently, some of Europe’s most influential dental professionals converged on Berlin for Philips’ 10th Oral Healthcare Symposium.

By bringing together the best minds and leading innovators in one meeting the aim was to help shape the future of oral (and overall) health.

The overarching message of the symposium was that there is progressive evidence showing that the mouth is the gateway to the body for a number of destructive diseases (including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis).

Tracey said: “At Philips’ Oral Healthcare Symposium, experts discussed the significance of the fact that half the adult population has periodontitis (or gum disease). It is thought that gum disease can initiate localised inflammatory responses elsewhere in the body, potentially leading to diabetes, heart disease and complications in pregnancy.”

She added: “It’s easy to ignore the early signs of gum disease, such as bleeding gums when brushing or flossing, but it really is worth booking an appointment with your dentist to maintain healthy gums, even if you don’t have any dental pain.”

She added: “At the Tracey Bell clinics, we’re big believers in preventative treatments. Time spent in the hygienist’s chair will help to keep your teeth and gums healthy and could avoid the need for fillings. This will also help to preserve your oral health and with more and more research showing that maintaining healthy teeth and gums helps to safeguard the health of your whole body, there’s really no excuse for avoiding your dentist!”

She concluded: “The key message is that prevention’s better than cure, so take all the steps you can, from brushing and flossing with care to making time for those check-ups and hygienists appointments – it’s not just about promoting healthy smiles, it’s about healthy lifestyles.”

www.traceybell.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Hill .