A survey takes place every decade in the home isles to determine how healthy the nation’s teeth are. Dental health is studied and analysed to get a picture of the state of peoples’ teeth.
There was one scheduled for release in 2009, but it is a year late due to ‘departmental restructuring’. Alas, on the 8th of December 2010 an overall summary of the situation will be readily available to the public.
Now, ‘snapshots’ are great for the dental industry, the government and for the general public, but how does this all apply to us as individuals?
In theory, the results of the survey should help the government to increase efficiency and effectiveness by being able to plan where funding is needed for particular procedures. In practice, however, it is never going to provide a cure-all for all the ills of everyone who took part.
Because of this, we’ve put together our own audit to creating a snapshot of your dental scenario so that you can figure out what you can do to make sure your smile is at its brightest.
* When did you last see a dentist?
If you can’t remember, or it was over six months ago, then you should try and see a dentist as soon as possible. You need to be seen by a dentist regularly to make sure that everything’s healthy.
* Are you brushing regularly enough?
Twice a day should be your standard. Missing one occasionally isn’t the end of the world, but make sure that 90% of the time you are brushing twice a day or more.
* Do you feel any discomfort or pain?
Pain can be caused by infections. When your teeth decay, your roots can be jeopardised. If you are suffering for more than a few days, or if the pain is too much to bear, go to see a dentist immediately. Worst case scenario is there’s something wrong and it needs fixing. The best case scenario is you’ve just got a bit of inflammation and it will go down with painkillers. It’s always better to err on the side of caution.
* Are you happy with the general appearance of your teeth?
Some people take good care of their teeth and still they can’t escape the burden of staining and discolouration. For this reason, there are plenty of treatments that you can take advantage of in order to make your teeth look whiter and ensure that your smile stays white and bright. Whilst taking our advice on brushing regularity and visiting the dentist every six months will help to improve the state of your smile, it is not a cure-all, especially if you have neglected your teeth in the past. Veneers and professional whitening services are just a couple of examples of procedures you can undergo to completely change the appearance of your smile.
If you are concerned about your teeth, find local dentists in Maidenhead today.