DENTAL HEALTH WEEK

Expensive and painful dental treatments have become part of growing up for many children; a sad reality that Helix Dentistry is determined to change for good.

With the latest figures showing NSW is in the grip of a tooth decay crisis, Helix Dentistry’s Dr Steven Lin is using Dental Health Week to offer expert advice on how to avoid braces and fillings to vastly benefit overall health as well as the family budget.

“Encouraging good habits via simple things like diet and breathing from an early age can have a huge impact on whether a person will spend a large part of their childhood and elder years dealing with dental issues,” said Dr Lin, principal dentist of Helix Dentistry.

Nearly half of Australian children develop tooth decay before their 10^th birthday. In NSW, the problem is even more acute with more children now hospitalized because of dental issues than asthma, epilepsy and ear, nose and throat infections.

Diets high in sugar and acid are often to blame, but avoiding certain foods is only part of the solution.

“Above and beyond brushing and flossing, there are many positive steps parents can take to improve their child’s teeth,” Dr Lin said.

These include:

• Nasal breathing: Mouth breathing dries the oral cavity, reducing the immune system’s capacity to defend against bacteria.

• Whole foods including full fat: To include crucial fat soluble vitamins that strengthen teeth’s natural immune defence system.

• Oral probiotics: Introduce ‘good’ bacteria to the mouth, balancing the oral environment and neutralising bacterial threats.

• Raw vegetables: Require a certain crunching action that promotes saliva, which is a natural tooth protection agent.

“The beauty of these solutions is that they are available to everyone. The problem is the community hasn’t been well educated about them, and our profession needs to do better to spread the message of how simple the best cure – prevention – is,” added Dr Lin.

Helix Dentistry offers a range of functional and preventative approaches that can offer life-long solutions for ailments like misaligned teeth.

“Traditionally crooked teeth requires waiting for the adult teeth to set, before applying costly braces. But today when we understand what causes crooked teeth, including breathing, muscles and diet, there is an opportunity to prevent braces in our next generation,” continued Dr Lin.

“Everyone thinks braces is the only cure for crooked teeth, but that’s far from the case. In many cases, it’s not even a cure because the problem can re-emerge. There’s a range of alternative techniques, preventative options and exercises that can make a lasting difference to children’s teeth,” he added.

For more on how Helix Dentistry can help, phone us on 4334 1383.