Your oral health changes throughout your entire life. From birth to the later years of life, there are special concerns you should know about related to your oral health. In THIS PLAYLIST, you will find videos that talk about oral health needs throughout all stages of life. Learn the basics of baby oral care from before they develop teeth to teething to when they start going to the dentist to take care of their baby teeth. Then, learn about maintaining dental hygiene as a kid from the ages 4-12 as they start to brush their own teeth, with orthodontist appointments being recommended from age seven and sealants recommended when their molars come in. Going into the teenage years, it’s important that teens make sure that the gum they chew is sugar free, that they wear a mouthguard while playing sports, get braces if needed and don’t eat anything that would get stuck in them, and avoid damaging lip and tongue piercings. It is especially important during these periods of time because these are the teeth they’re going to be living with for the rest of their lives.
As a young adult, managing stress is important for oral health, as well as eating healthy, limiting drinking, and eliminating smoking, as well as taking the appropriate measures for dental hygiene during pregnancy. During the midlife stage, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, consuming plenty of calcium. At this period of time, it’s likely that the teeth have some staining from things like coffee and red wine, but there are whitening options available. The risk of cancer is higher with age, so it’s important to stop smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, instead maintain a healthy diet, exercise, application of sunscreen and SPF lip balm, and get screened for cancers to make early detection possible.
Use these guidelines as you and your children age so that you and your family can be happy and healthy!