World Oral Health Day 2018: |16 March 2018

‘Say AAAAHHHHH… at the dentist’s today for a great selfie tomorrow!’

World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is an annual commemoration organised by the World Dental Federation (FDI) each year on March 20 to raise awareness about diseases of the mouth and underline the amount of work being done to reduce their prevalence across the globe.

Oral health is considered to be a global burden on its own and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study, dental caries (tooth decay) affects 2.3 billion people (permanent teeth) and 560 million children (milk/deciduous teeth).

As we approach one of the most significant days in the dental calendar worldwide, the dental department at the Ministry of Health shares its knowledge and advice in a bid to help sensitise the population about various aspects relating to oral health care.

WOHD theme and sub-theme

The ‘Say Ahh’ theme is a three-year campaign launched in 2018, starting with ‘Think Mouth, Think Health’ as the first sub-theme.

‘Say Ahh’ are the first words any dental professional will tell a person the minute they are in the dental chair. The FDI created the campaign to sensitise people that health starts with the mouth and is correlated to the rest of the body. The mouth is actually considered to be a mirror of the body in many ways.

The theme focuses on four messages:

1. Oral health is much more than a nice smile

It is about a healthy mouth and the aim is to have no rotten teeth and non-inflamed gums. This allows for normal oral function, e.g. eating and social interactions. These can be done by promoting self-care in terms of proper oral hygiene practices at home and regular checks at the dentist.

A large part of the population in Seychelles do not brush their teeth correctly and are not flossing or using a mouthwash in their daily oral care routine. A lot of people visit the dentist only when in pain.

1. Oral health and general health have a two-way relationship

A lot of times oral health professionals spot signs of other diseases in the mouth and direct their patients towards a medical professional to follow up. For example, the effects of nutritional deficiencies, systemic diseases, alcohol consumption and tobacco usage can be seen on teeth and gums.

1. The mouth cannot be isolated from the rest of the body

A lot of diseases lead to a compromise in the overall health status of individuals, e.g. diabetic or HIV patients. This can aggravate existing oral health conditions or cause the beginning of these problems at the mouth level.

The populations with diabetes and HIV are rapidly growing due to lifestyle changes in Seychelles, hence they are part of the target populations.

1. Most oral diseases share common risk factors with other diseases

Dental professionals talk about healthy diets (sugar reduced/free), no smoking and minimal alcohol consumption like many medical professionals. These are usually the same for diabetes mellitus, hypertensive, cardiac and cancer patients.

Common dental problems and their causes

According to Dr Abisheka at the dental department, the most common problems that people face are rotten teeth and bleeding gums. Over time, diets have evolved and more sugars and fats introduced; fast foods and all sorts of candies are part of daily life. These are also contributors to the situations faced by people seeking emergency fixes at the dentist, along with poor oral care and neglect.

Teeth are affected by acid released by bacteria found in the mouth which are energised by the food particles trapped on teeth. This acid is the beginning of the end in so many ways and most of the time, but it can be taken care of if you follow the advice and education given by dentists from the start.

It is very common for people to neglect their back teeth when they see no issues in their front ones since they are not so obvious when smiling. Additionally, because the back teeth have more surfaces and because of the cheeks/tongue, they are less accessible.

However, they are the ones that help in chewing food. Elder people can confirm that it is not the same to eat on a false set of teeth as it is with their own even if they do get used to the feeling with time and are grateful to at least have some teeth to smile/eat with.

The intent is to care for all teeth the same way and to remember that all teeth have specific functions. People need to follow the brushing instructions where the back teeth also need to be cleaned on the chewing surfaces (as shown in illustration).

Selfie smiles

Dr Abisheka reminds us that the best way to make an imprint of a memory is to take a selfie and the most beautiful part of a selfie is the SMILE. A smile is a unique feature that varies from person to person; they are rather prominent when conveying a multitude of expressions, from happiness to sadness, all the way to mischievous. Our smiles can only be enhanced by visiting the DENTAL DREAM TEAM, which includes dentists, dental assistants, therapists and hygienists. Each person in this team has a very specific role to play in making your smile beautiful and more importantly, healthy.

Dental care for adults, children and pregnant women

Dr Abisheka explains that the care and maintenance of a smile starts from the very beginning of getting pregnant. There is a service provided to cater for mothers, educating them on the importance of taking care of their own teeth during pregnancy. Due to hormonal changes in the body, gums and teeth are affected in a multitude of ways, e.g. bleeding of gums and dental caries which may cause pain if untreated.

Those expecting are usually seen and followed up by the team taking care of adults, who also advise them on their infant’s care; the child is then followed up by the children’s team from the age of 6 weeks. From then onwards to secondary 5 (S5), dental therapists and nurses are the base contacts for dental education, therapy and maintenance.

After S5 onwards, the adult team guides and preserves our teeth for as long as possible. There may be hurdles along the way but everything can be prevented unless proven contrary. Everything else is all part of the excuses given not to attend, e.g. “no time”, “busy”, “did not know that”, “never knew it was supposed to be done”, “too scared of dentists”, “scared of the injection” and “cannot stand the sound of the drill”.

Overcoming excuses

To help overcome some of these excuses, the following tips are suggested:

• • Patients can educate themselves by using the internet but also need to keep an open mind that every person is different.
• • Remember that everything in the mouth is preventable. People are responsible for the way they practice their oral hygiene at home and also attending their bi-annual check-ups.
• • Fear of a dentist/dental equipment is a question of perception and relationship with oral health professionals.

Recommended oral care routine

1. Brush and floss at least twice a day. Flossing is very important as the toothbrush cannot clean in between the teeth (toothpicks are not to be used at all).

Oral irrigators

The use of an oral irrigator is a question of affordability. It is something advocated for those who, for e.g. have less dexterity or impaired gag reflexes or orthodontic patients and the same applies to electric tooth brushes. It is a good system to use as compared to the stick flosses or interdental toothbrushes which people do not renew/clean after each tooth, thus carrying plaque/food debris from one tooth to the next.

The good thing about oral irrigators is that mouthwashes can be added into the reservoir attached. (To note, mouth washes advised for daily use should be alcohol free and should not contain chlorhexidine; mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine are prescribed by the dentist or dental hygienist for 15 days).

Some oral irrigators come with different coloured tips which can be used by the whole family.

1. Visit the dentist at least every 6 months. They will advise you on what treatments you require and refer you to the dental hygienist for a cleaning and polishing, or dental specialist if required.

3. It is all about saving teeth and trying very hard not to let you lose any. However, if you have lost some due to carelessness or other inevitable circumstances, there are steps that can be taken to replace them, restore function and rehabilitate that smile.

Dr Abisheka concludes, reminding us that a unique dazzling smile can be yours if you want it. Pink healthy gums and clean teeth are a trendy feature and can be facilitated along with the help of your DENTAL DREAM TEAM. They can help make your smile ready to be posted up on social media for even more likes and compliments without those filters!

References: Dental department, Ministry of Health; FDI World Dental