Why do dentists support water fluoridation? What is the alternative if water cannot be fluoridated? What do dentists say about claims that water fluoridation harms general health? How do I look after my teeth when I am pregnant? What is meant by "Bottle Caries" or "Bottle mouth syndrome"? What can you tell me about gum disease? What sort of toothbrush should I be using? Why is it important to brush my teeth? Should I use a mouthwash? Should I use floss? What can dentists do about bad breath? Is it true that smoking is bad for the mouth? What advice do dentists give about sports? Is it true that chewing gum helps keep my mouth healthy? Is tongue piercing safe? Q Why do dentists support water fluoridation? Water fluoridation is recognised worldwide as a safe and effective way of reducing the incidence of dental decay. The World Health Organisation backs this important public health measure. In the UK an alliance of 37 professional and health bodies, including the British Dental Association and the British Medical Association have joined together to form the National Alliance for Equity in Dental Health (NAEDH) to press for water supplies to be fluoridated where this has the support of local communities. Dental decay is a disease closely linked to social deprivation. By adjusting the fluoride content of water supplies to the optimum level of 1 part per million, the benefit of fluoride reaches the whole community including people on low income for whom buying a toothbrush and toothpaste may be a relatively low priority. To make an immediate impact on areas of social deprivation, NAEDH want to see water fluoridation reaching 25% of the UK’s population living in the main connurbations. Download BDA press briefing on water fluoridation Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What is the alternative if water cannot be fluoridated? Brushing your teeth twice a day using family-strengh fluoride toothpaste - just a smear for infants and a pea-sized blob for children under eight. Over the past 20 years fluoride toothpaste use has brought about a massive reduction in dental decay. Fluoride can also be added to milk and to salt. Several areas of the country are testing schemes to provide fluoridated milk in school nurseries in areas of poor dental health. Salt fluoridation has been used quite extensively in countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Jamaica. In areas where water supplies cannot be fluoridated for technical reasons — in parts of Scotland, for example — this could be a feasible new approach. But generally, salt fluoridation is very much a second best to water fluoridation. Download BDA Fact File on Fluoridated Toothpaste Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What do dentists say about claims that water fluoridation harms general health? If there were any sound reasons for believing that water fluoridation was generally harmful dentists would not support it. But there isn't. The claims of water fluoridation's opponents were condemned last year by the National Alliance for Equity in Dental Health (NAEDH). The President of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK commented (March 1998): ‘The facts are that tooth decay remains a major public health problem in many parts of the UK. It is a preventable disease and children living in poverty are at particular risk. Fluoride in toothpaste and in water is safe and effective. Download Press release from NDEQH re health scares Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q How do I look after my teeth when I am pregnant? See your dentist as you normally would - unless you haven't been having regular dental care, in which case start now. Talk to your dentist about your own teeth and about your baby's teeth, too. Download BDA briefing on dental care during pregnancy Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What is meant by "Bottle Caries" or "Bottle mouth syndrome"? "Bottle caries" means rampant caries in babies, linked to continuous dripping of sugar containing liquids onto the teeth. This is particularly linked to the use of baby bottles, because many infants tend to 'nurse' a bottle, but may also be linked to cup feeding or very occasionally breastfeeding if this takes place on demand and through the night. Download BDA Fact File on rampant caries Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What can you tell me about gum disease? National surveys show that most adults in the UK suffer from some form of gum disease, but only about one in ten has serious problems. If not treated, gum disease can ultimately make extraction necessary. But with good oral hygiene, gum disease can be prevented. If you smoke, give it up for dental reasons too — because there is a well-established link between smoking, gum disease and increased tooth loss. Download BDA briefing on gum disease Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What sort of toothbrush should I be using? Dentists recommend that you use a small-headed soft to medium brush with synthetic bristles which are "end rounded" so that they do not damage your gums. Brush thoroughly twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. And change your brush when it becomes out of shape as it will be less effective at plaque removal. Q Why is it important to brush my teeth? Regular brushing is important in the prevention of gum disease. But tooth-brushing alone does not prevent decay. For that, you need fluoride. Most people in the UK do not have the benefit of fluoridated water supplies so they must rely on fluoride in toothpaste. Dental scientists agree that fluoride toothpaste use has been the main cause of the decline in dental decay in Europe over the past two decades. Download BDA Fact File on Tooth-brushing and Tooth brushes Download BDA Fact File on Fluoridated Toothpaste Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q Should I use a mouthwash? Ask your dentist for advice on mouthrinses. Some mouthrinses are of no health benefit but others have shown in clinical trials that they help to keep mouths healthy. Download BDA Fact File on mouthrinses Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q Should I use floss? Ask your dentist or hygienist. Dentists do not recommend flossing for children. If you do floss, it is important to do it properly so that you clean around your teeth without damaging your gums. Download BDA Fact File on Flossing Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What can dentists do about bad breath? Poor oral hygiene and gum disease are the most common causes, so dentists can do a lot for people with concerns about bad breath. Download BDA Fact File on bad breath Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q Is it true that smoking is bad for the mouth? Yes. It's not just a problem for your lungs and heart but also for your gums. Smoking leads to earlier tooth loss - earlier old age. And it's also associated with oral cancer, especially with excessive alcohol use as well. Download BDA Fact File on smoking and gum health Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q What advice do dentists give about sports? If you are taking part in competitive sports or in training, don't let poor oral health undermine your performance. Get some advice by clicking the following link. Download BDA Fact File on sports and dental health Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q Is it true that chewing gum helps keep my mouth healthy? Yes, provided it is sugar-free gum, that is. Chewing stimulates saliva flow, which helps to clean away food remains and also helps a tooth to remineralise after an acid attack, using minerals in the saliva. Download BDA Fact File on sugar-free chewing gum Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here Q Is tongue piercing safe? No. There is always a risk of infection with any form of piercing. The risks to health are greater with mouth piercing because of the closeness of the airway. A swollen tongue can interfere with breathing, and infections underneath the tongue can spread rapidly. Severely infected piercings have been reported as causes of septicaemia and toxic shock syndrome. There is also a risk if piercing is carried out with less than rigorous hygiene. Equipment should be disposable wherever possible, and other equipment should be sterilised between clients using a piece of equipment known as an autoclave. Autoclaves can cost from around £1500 upwards, so it is possible that they are not in general use by piercers. If equipment is not sterile, infections such as HIV or hepatitis B or C infections could pass from client to client, or between client and piercer. Download BDA media briefing on tongue piercing Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader To download Click Here