ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD HEALTH IS GREAT ORAL HEALTH…

Health Havard wrote recently that not looking after your oral health properly can lead to a number of health problems. You could suffer an infection (an abscess) which could in theory travel to your brain.

You could suffer from gun disease if you do not look after your oral health. People with gum disease are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimers disease, and pneumonia although, as Health Havard wrote, it is not proven that the gum disease actually causes these conditions.

Maintaining good oral health gets harder as we age and a growing number of adults are keeping their teeth longer so good oral health is essential. Keeping on top of cleaning your teeth at least twice a day with an electric toothbrush and flossing once a day can help to keep decay away. You can even buy an electric toothbrush with an ergonomic handle.

If you suffer from a dry mouth which could be due to your medication (mine is) then you could try a gum with xylitol in it, sugar free of course and cut down on all sweet products and obviously avoid smoking.

According to the UK Tea & Infusion Association they are now saying that a regular intake of flouride is recommended to protect against dental caries and gum disease.

Tea is a natural source of flouride and just one cup can contain 0.3 to 0.5mg. Studies show that the polyphenolic activity of tea may also benefit oral health. 2-3 servings of tea a day contributes to fluoride intakes but levels don’t exceed European safe limits and are not even high enough to reach recommended levels.

This suggests that a higher tea consumption of 4-5 cups daily would be better for our dental health. Among higher consumers of tea (up to 5 cups daily) fluoride intakes meet recommended levels and are still below safe limits. In children aged 4-10 years an appropriate intake would be 1-2 servings and in older children up to 4 servings daily could be consumed while remaining within limits for fluoride and caffeine.

The UK Tea & Infusions Association have set up a Tea Advisory Panel to provide the media with impartial information regarding the health benefits of tea.