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It’s World Oral Health Day

It’s World Oral Health Day today and this year’s theme is ‘Smile for Life’.

World Oral Health Day

World Oral Health Day Smile for Life

I received an e-mail with professional advice from IVOhealth’s oral hygiene expert Dirna Grobbelaar to keep my family smiling – healthily. And I thought I’d share it with you:

  • Brush correctly twice a day – the Philips Sonicare is clinically proven to gently remove more plaque than a manual brush.
  • Brush for a full two minutes each time – the new Philips Sonicare For Kids has a built-in timer to help your children learn how long to brush.
  • Clean in-between the teeth every day – this should start as soon as the teeth start to touch one another, usually from around age two.
  • Find an interdental tool that suits your mouth and lifestyle – floss, an interdental brush, an oral irrigator or the Philips Sonicare AirFloss which jets a microburst of air and water between the teeth at 72 km/h.
  • Gently clean the tongue to remove plaque and food debris – look for specially designed tools.
  • For extra fresh breath confidence older children and adults can swish with an alcohol-free mouthwash like Dentyl Active.
  • Have a professional clean by an oral hygienist every six months and see the dentist each year.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet avoiding sugary foods and drinks.

I have been using the Sonicare toothbrush for a couple of months now and it is the best toothbrush I have ever used. A review is coming your way soon, but as one is on its way to my little one, I thought I’d rather wait and give you a full review on the Sonicare powerbrush for adults and kids. So keep an eye on the blog.

I do have to share this little tool with you today as it is awesome…

The Sunstar GUM dual action tongue cleaner:

Sunstar GUM tongue cleaner

This little beaut thoroughly cleans your tongue and is a must-have. Cara has decided that it belongs to her and my little girl is adament that she has to clean her tongue too every time she brushes her teeth. I have to get one for myself and hubby now and I have convinced other members of my family to get some as well. After the first (and perhaps gross) use, you will be convinced too that you simple cannot go without. They retail for about R40 and is available from dentists, Dis-Chem, Clicks, selected Pick ‘n Pay stores and pharmacies.

For more oral care tips visit IVOhealth or chat to your dentist or oral hygienist.

Here’s to a happy and healthy smile!

xoxo

 

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Kick bad breath to the curb!

How many of you floss? Be honest. I’m a bad flosser. And that is due to just plain laziness. And it’s gross. Sunstar GUM sent me a huge parcel of fresh breath helpers and I will never go without flossing again.

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These are my favourites:

20150204_163245The Easy-Flossers and Soft-Picks are super handy and even come with a little plastic case to pop a few into your handbag. The Flosbrush is brilliant as it helps you to get into even the most hard to reach places. Uhm… use the tongue brush just once and you will NEVER want to go without it again! Red-Cote does the same that those tabs the dentist gives you does… it will show you exactly where the plaque builds up most. Now you will know precisely where you need to give a little more attention.

Sunstar GUM products are awesome and are now my number one go-to products for oral care. You can find these at Dis-Chem.

The rest of the post is going to be a copy-and-paste jobbie as Eskom is cutting the power at my office in 10 minutes. And when I get home, it’s our turn. Damn you Eskom!

Please have a read below and support the cause below as Sunstar GUM will donate up to 1,000 Razzle Dazzle toothbrushes to The ToothFairies volunteering with the Friends of the Children’s Hospital at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital for each person that takes the Sunstar GUM Kiss-O-Meter challenge.

Before puckering up for that Valentine smooch, take the Sunstar GUM Kiss-O-Meter challenge and see how your breath scores. Although bad breath affects around 90% of people at some point, most don’t realise that they have a problem. And you can’t rely on your bestie to break the bad news – two-thirds of people said they wouldn’t tell a friend that their breath smelt and a third wouldn’t even tell their spouse!

Experts say that the most common cause of bad breath is inadequate oral care. “If plaque and food debris are not physically removed – by correctly brushing, flossing and rinsing – they break down in the mouth, releasing bad odours, as well as causing irritation and disease,” says Dirna Grobbelaar, IVOhealth’s oral hygiene advisor.

Whilst most people brush their teeth regularly, flossing is often overlooked; 35% of people admitted they “never” floss. “The mouth is not clean until it’s clean in-between,” says Grobbelaar. “If you are in doubt, take the test – pull a length of floss between the teeth and smell it!”

Grobbelaar suggests that if you find flossing awkward or too time-consuming, find an interdental tool that suits your mouth and lifestyle. “There are many options these days, from tiny interdental brushes and floss handles to high-tech toothpicks with built-in fluoride. Look for Sunstar GUM products in pharmacies and dental practices; they have the widest range of interdental tools in South Africa.”

“Brushing correctly twice a day, cleaning the tongue and interdental cleaning is the key to the fresh breath confidence that comes from a super-clean mouth,” says Grobbelaar.

To get your ‘kissability’ rating take the Sunstar GUM Kiss-O-Meter challenge on www.facebook.com/ivohealth this February. 

xoxo