APRIL
IS ORAL HEALTH MONTH |
What is oral health? Oral refers to the mouth, which includes the teeth, gums, and supporting tissues. It is easy to take your oral health for granted, but oral health is the key to living each day comfortably. The mouth tissues allow you to speak, smile, sigh, kiss, smell, taste, chew, swallow, and cry. They also let you show a world of feelings through expressions. Taking good care of these tissues can prevent disease in them and throughout your body.
Caring for your Teeth and Mouth: Healthy teeth are clean and have few cavities. Healthy gums are pink and firm. Tooth decay and cavities are common and can occur at any age. Tooth decay and cavities can result in pain, difficulty eating, infection and tooth loss if not treated. Soft-bristles are gentler on your gums. Fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay.
- Use small gentle circular motion and short back-and-forth strokes.
- Don’t press too hard – the bristles on the brush shouldn’t be flat.
- Clean the outside and inside of your tooth surfaces and tongue.
- Brush your teeth after meals and at bedtime.
- Replace your toothbrush with a new one every three months.
- Avoid tobacco.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
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Monthly
News |
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April Class Schedule for Honolulu
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Patient Education Archive |
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Recipe
of the Month |
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Low Sodium Cooking |
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Prevention Topics: Oral Health |
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Caring for Your Teeth and Mouth |
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Have Diabetes? Keep Your Gums & Teeth Healthy |
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If You Play Contact Sports |
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Oral Cancer |
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Plaque: What It Is And How To Get Rid Of It |
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Teeth Are Meant To Last A Lifetiime |
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Other Goverment Resources |
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Oral Cancer Prevention |
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Women's Health: Oral Cancer
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Prevent Diabetes Problems - Keep Your Teeth & Gums Healthy |
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OTHER Web
Resources |
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The Different Kinds of Stress |
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How Can I Manage Stress |
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Healthy
Hawaii: Healthy Eating |
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Helathy Hawaii: Recipes |
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Healthy
Hawaii: Living Tobacco Free |
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Healthy
Hawaii - Event Calendar. |
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Healthy
Hawaii: Fun Tools |
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National
Sexual Violence Resource Center |
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National
Domestic Violence Hotline |
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Family
Violence Prevention Fund – Personal Safety
Plan |
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Plaque. Plaque develops from the combination of food and bacteria. It starts to build up on teeth about 20 minutes after eating. If plaque is not removed each day by brushing and flossing, it can lead over time, to plaque, which is soft and sticky, becomes tarter which is solid and hard. The buildup of tarter leads to cavities and irritates your gums. It can also cause damage to the tissues and bone that support teeth, resulting in pain and tooth abscesses and a variety of health problems including heart disease. Tips for healthy teeth and gums:
- Brush after meals and at bedtime.
- Using Floss daily.
- Ease the floss into place gently. Do not snap into place.
- Another way, use a dental pick – a thin plastic or wooden stick
- Brush the tongue for a fresh feeling.
- Visit your dentist regularly.
Have Diabetes? Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy: High blood sugar levels can cause teeth and gum problems. If you are older than 45, have diabetes and smoke, you are at increased risk for developing gum disease.
- Gum disease also known as periodontal disease, can result in mouth pain, difficulty chewing and even tooth loss.
- Gum disease can even make your blood sugars harder to control.
Oral Cancer: Each year 33,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer. Oral Cancer is a cancer that forms in the lips, tongue, gums, the lining of your cheeks or the roof or bottom of your mouth. It is often diagnosed in its later stages. The treatments for oral cancer can be disfiguring and costly. Risk factors for developing oral cancer include:
- Tobacco use including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco or dipping snuff.
- Alcohol use increases risk with the amount of alcohol consumed.
- Exposure to sunlight.
What small, easy step can I take to have a healthy smile?
1) Brush your teeth at least twice each day.
2) Have a healthy lifestyle.
3) Get Regular check ups.
4) Follow your dentist’s advice.
5) If you have another problem, think how it may affect your oral health
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