Oral Health Month

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2024 • SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS Oral Health Month 5 One blended iced coffee drink can contain more sugar than your recommended daily intake. Be Sugar Smart. Manitoba Dentist.ca ™ Talk to your Dentist Good for you. Good for life. He adds that sugary foods shouldn't sit on teeth for too long. "It's all about the f requency, the amount, and how long the sugar sits on the teeth. The consistency of the food also makes a difference, so if you have half a gummy bear stuck right at the gum line on the tooth, that becomes a serious issue." To combat the impacts of sugar, Baluta recommends good oral hygiene that includes brushing and flossing regularly. It's also helpful to choose healthy snacks and to drink water between meals. Another good habit is to read ingredient lists to understand where sugar might be lurking in foods and drinks. For youngsters, dentists often take the preventative measure of applying sealants to molars to make them less susceptible to decay. Baluta also advises parents to avoid letting wee ones fall asleep with a bottle of milk or any other drink, besides water. In addition, fluoride can also help to re-mineralize the enamel of teeth. "Fluoride in our water supply is very helpful to prevent tooth decay. The re-mineralization of teeth structure can happen in very early stages. Often if we see problems that are small, that's when the fluoride will help," he says. "Once the decay has gotten bad enough that it can't be re-mineralized in the mouth, the only repair is dental work," he says. And that dental work can get quite extensive. "At that stage, you need to get fillings done on those teeth. Then it starts the dental cascade. Once you've started work on that tooth, then there's a natural progression over a lifetime of more and more work needing to be done on that tooth." To reduce the negative dental impacts of sugar, Baluta offers some pointed advice. "The best thing we can do is stop the habit of keeping sugar on our teeth for extended periods of time," he says. "Secondly, try to become aware of all the hidden amounts of sugar that you just don't think about." >> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Take care of your overall health for a confident smile Book your next appointment today FROM St. Vital (204) 813-7707 Garden City (204) 784-0396 No wonDer my overalLs are so HEaLtHY! PAGE 3

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