Oral health tips for office workers

We’ve all experienced them: The never-ending calls and emails to answer, the precious lunch break delayed by a long-winded client, juggling a million and one things in your head while indulging your boss’ latest gadget fetish...

Welcome to the daily grind of an office worker. In all seriousness, the insane pace of a nine-to-fiver should not be taken lightly, especially when it begins to take a toll on what really matters – your health. Stressful as the work pressures may be, it is important to strike a balance between work and your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Sad but true, our health is usually the thing we put on the backburner when our work life gets more demanding. And the area of our physical wellbeing that we neglect the most is often our dental health. It doesn’t have to be that way.

In this article, we will show you how easy it is to maintain a high quality of oral health just by following some useful yet rudimentary tips:

No-nonsense daily oral care

Besides keeping up with the Joneses, you may want to keep up a daily oral care regime. It is important that you develop an easy-to-follow routine that suits your schedule and make sure you stay committed all the way until the habit kicks in and you realise just how little effort it really takes.

Without exception, your oral care programme must include twice daily brushing and flossing, before breakfast and just before bedtime. If time permits – even though that can be a lot to ask – it is a very good idea to brush and floss after each meal.

Limit snacking

Avoiding sweets and lollies is not enough to reduce the likelihood of developing dental plaque. Any foods that contain sugars and carbohydrates can trigger the acid-producing bacteria in your mouth and catalyse the formation of dental plaque, which in turn causes the minerals on the surface of your teeth to break down. Such foods include biscuits, crackers, snack bars, muesli bars, fruits and potato chips. It may be a good idea to stay away from the office pantry lest you be tempted to snack on these plaque-inducing foods.

Quit smoking

Smokers are not only more prone to suffer from common dental ailments – like gum disease, tooth discolouration and bad breath – they are at a higher risk of oral cancer. There is no question that quitting tobacco can significantly improve your health and wellbeing, including your oral health.

Use fluoride

Contrary to popular understanding, fluoride use benefits not just children but also helps to strengthen and protect adult teeth. Research has consistently shown the immense benefits of fluoride use in the reduction of dental cavities and tooth decay. Increasing your fluoride intake is as easy as selecting a toothpaste or mouth-rinse with fluoride ingredient. When in doubt, discuss your fluoride needs with your dentist. The dentist is in the best position to advice whether you can benefit from a higher strength prescription fluoride product or fluoride supplements.

Visit your dentist regularly

As a strong preventative measure, you are advised to visit your dentist at least every 6 months for a regular check-up that includes a professional cleaning session. Of course, since no two dental patients are alike, it is important that you discuss with your dentist about the frequency of your visits, in keeping with your specific oral health needs.

To find out more about our active oral health maintenance programme, please contact Sydney CBD Dental at 02 9051 0503.