Healthy Smile, Healthy Body: Take Time for Oral Health

While taking care of our teeth and gums should be an easy, daily task, sometimes life’s other demands take over. But taking just two minutes, twice a day, to brush your teeth not only improves your oral health but can have a huge impact on your overall health.

Here are six tips help you keep a healthy smile:

  1. Brush Two Times for 2 Minutes: Choose a fluoridated toothpaste and soft bristled toothbrush to brush teeth, gums and tongue once in the morning and once at night for two minutes.
  2. Visit a Dental Provider Twice a Year for a Professional Cleaning: As oral health is part of one’s overall health, ACCESS has co-located Sonrisa Family Dental offices at six of our health centers to make taking care of all your health care needs convenient and easy.
  3. Avoid Tobacco: While the rate of cigarette smokers is declining, e-cigarettes, hookah and smokeless tobacco, or chew, remain popular. 95% of adult smokers begin smoking before they turn 21, putting their health and their oral health at risk.
  4. Choose Healthy Beverages: Sugary sports drinks, energy drinks, juice, and soda are high in calories but low in nutrients, and the high acid and sugar may cause tooth decay. Choose milk, or other beverages high in calcium, and fluoridated water to help dilute the acids in the mouth and protect teeth from cavities.
  5. Practice Sports Safety: Athletes participating in contact sports should wear a properly fitted mouth guard to prevent oral or mouth injuries.
  6. HPV and Oral Cancer: Each day, approximately 19,000 teens and young adults become infected with Human Papillomavirus (HPV), increasing the risk of certain precancers, cancers and other diseases. The most effective way to protect against HPV-related cancers is to receive the HPV vaccine, use condoms if you are sexually active and get a STD screening regularly to prevent the spread of the infection.

About Access Community Health Network

ACCESS believes that patients need a medical home that addresses their total health care from physical, behavioral to oral health. As part of that commitment,  Sonrisa Family Dental offer ACCESS patients dental services at six convenient ACCESS locations. Find a location nearest you:

 

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As of January 5, 2023