How to Keep Your

Teeth and Mouth Healthy

Devon NHS

Today.......

• Teeth

• Gums

• What can go wrong

• How to prevent it

• Healthy eating

We use our teeth for........

Talking

Smiling Eating

Different types of teeth......

canine

incisor

molar

chewing and grinding

biting and cutting

gripping and tearing

What is the name and job of each type of tooth?

incisor premolar canine molar

Label the different types of teeth in the mouth

Structure of a tooth

Animals have teeth

Why do we brush our teeth...

Plaque bacteria on teeth

Morning Night

We brush our teeth......

Twice a day for two minutes

We need help with brushing.

Check your toothbrush regularly.

Change your brush every 3 months.

And don’t share.

Manual v Power

Family fluoride toothpaste

containing 1350 to 1500 ppm fluoride

Pea sized

amount of

toothpaste for

children over

3 years of age

Use a dry toothbrush

1 2

3 4

With thanks to Pierre Fabre Oral Care for use of the pictures. http://www.ceutahealthcare.com

Are these teeth clean ?

We

should

clean our

teeth

twice a

day.

But do we

always do

it properly ?

Disclosing tablets

Plaque is the same colour as the teeth and hard to see. These

tablets can be used to stain the plaque a different colour.

Disclosed plaque

plaque on

gums

plaque

between

teeth

plaque

on

teeth

Fissure in a Molar Tooth

What goes wrong with teeth - decay

How Teeth Decay......

• There are millions of

GOOD and BAD bacteria

in our mouths

• The bad bacteria eats the sugar and changes it into acid

• The acid damages the enamel on the teeth

• Which then causes decay

or holes in our teeth

Effect of sugar on the teeth

6

1

2

3

4

5 7

8

9

10

11 12

A M

1

2

3

4

5 6 7

8

9

10

11 12

P M

(Acid levels in the mouth over 24 hours)

Morning

Acid

Neutral Afternoon

Eating Pattern Bad for Teeth

Morning

Acid

Neutral

(Acid levels in the mouth over 24 hours)

Afternoon

6

1

2

3

4

5 7

8

9

10

11 12

A M

1

3

4

5 6

7

8

9

10

11 12

P M 2

Tooth decay…

Gum Disease

Healthy Mouth

Visit the Dentist Regularly

A healthy diet is important

for our teeth

There are no healthy or unhealthy foods – only healthy or unhealthy diets

Healthy Snacks – Choose Carefully

Bread Breadsticks Vegetables

Fruit Sandwiches Crackers

Snacks that should be kept to mealtimes

Acknowledgement of graphic source:

NSW Department of Health. Early childhood oral health guidelines for child health professionals.

Sydney. NSW Department of Health, 2009

Cereal Bar Sweet Popcorn Cakes

Biscuits Dried Fruit Sweets

47g 47g

31g

Sugar Content

Milk Water

Safe drinks between meals

Drinks that may damage your teeth

If you take a drink

to bed this

should only be

WATER

(milk can cause

damage to teeth

at night times)

Think Carefully

• On the effects that:

Sugar snacks and drinks between meals

Unhealthy Eating

Forgetting to brush your teeth

Not going to the dentist regularly

can have on your mouth

Guide to a Healthy Mouth

Brushing your teeth twice a day with

fluoride toothpaste

Healthy eating

Regular visits to the dentist

The healthier your teeth are the

happier you will be!

Look after your teeth.