Dental

Education for Patients

Promoting lifelong oral health for everyone.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease on the planet. It’s also the most preventable. Learn what actions you can take to promote good oral wellness for yourself and your family.

What is oral health?

Oral health: a state of being free from mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infection and sores, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay, tooth loss and other diseases and disorders.1

It includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort and disease of the craniofacial complex.2

Oral health is recognized as a basic human right.1

How common are oral health problems?

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease on the planet.3
Around the world, 60-90% of school-aged children and nearly 100% of adults have tooth decay.3
Tooth decay is more common than diabetes and asthma combined.2

How does dental health affect overall health?

Oral diseases can significantly reduce an individual’s quality of life. This includes their effectiveness in school and work settings, psychological health, and social wellbeing.3 Oral diseases can also have serious effects on overall wellness.

39.1% of Canadian adults have experienced time-lost from normal activities due to dental related illness.4 Annually, this amounts to:

4.15 million working-days lost4

$1 billion of productivity losses4
Chronically painful teeth can impact children's sleep, relaxation, and attention, and their overall educational and social development.2 For example, in Canada:

1/3 of all day-surgeries are performed on children between the ages of 1 and 54

2.26 million school days are missed annually4
Tooth decay, gum disease and other oral health conditions have been linked to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including:

Cardiovascular disease

Cancer

Diabetesannually

Respiratory diseases2

What you can do: dental health tips.

Fortunately, oral diseases are amongst the most preventable conditions.3 Follow the guidelines from experts like the Canadian Dental Association.

Brush at least twice a day.

Brushing your teeth at least twice a day helps remove cavity-causing bateria from the surface of the teeth.5
Floss daily.

Daily flossing helps remove cavity-causing bacteria form between teeth.5
Limit sugar and acid.

Sugar and acidic foods like citrus can wear down the tooth’s enamel, its protective coating, causing sensitivity.5
It can also fuel the growth of bacteria.5
Have regular dental checkups.

Having regular checkups allows your dentist to catch potential issues before they become a problem.5