Stay smiling

[Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Keeping your teeth nice and clean requires more than just daily brushing. Wu Ni chats to a leading dentist about some common misconceptions regarding dental hygiene and the best ways to look after your pearly whites.

Dental health is more than just a confident smile showing your pearly whites. Poor dental health—in particular tooth decay and periodontal diseases—is linked to a greater risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes according to the Chinese Stomatological Association (CSA).

This Sept 20 marks the 26th National Teeth Care Day. Although Chinese people’s awareness of dental hygiene has risen in recent years, 70 to 80 percent of Chinese still suffer periodontal diseases. Ma Mingyu, a dentist at ARRAIL Dental Clinic in Shanghai, explains some common myths about dental health.

"I do not need a dentist because I brush my teeth carefully everyday." Even the most careful brushing reaches only three-fifths of all tooth surfaces. Plaque absorbs calcium from saliva and integrates with bacteria, then mineralizes and hardens into calculus or tartar, that in the long term will damage the gums and wreck the roots of the teeth. You need to visit the dentist every six months for regular check ups and have your teeth cleaned thoroughly.

"I do not eat much sugar so I do not need to worry." Sugar isn’t the only dental villain that undermines healthy teeth. Modern diets mean people are eating more processed and high-starch foods, and soda drinks that contain lots of acids, which erode tooth enamel and contribute to tooth decay.

A diet for healthy teeth includes fish and flaxseed that are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent inflammation and may help protect against gum disease. "Electric is more efficient than a manual toothbrush." Theoretically this is true but ultimately it depends on the brusher.

No matter what brush you choose, the key is brushing the correct place at the correct angle: hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and make an up-and-down motion. A soft brush is recommended.