Take charge of your oral health
Why it is important
Oral health can be maintained by being aware of your risk factors and taking action to prevent disease. The good news is that by controlling these risk factors you can also help avoid other health conditions, such as heart and respiratory diseases, cancer and diabetes.
Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages. Maintaining good oral health has a positive impact on your general health, well-being and quality of life.
Understanding the risk factors
Major risk factors include an unhealthy diet that is high in sugar, tobacco use, the harmful use of alcohol and poor oral hygiene.
Unhealthy diet – high in sugar
Adults should have no more than six teaspoons of sugar daily; for children it’s three. Consuming excessive amounts of sugar from snacks, processed foods and soft drinks is a leading risk factor for oral diseases. Soft drinks include any beverage with added sugar, such as sodas, fruit juices, sweetened powdered drinks, and sports and energy drinks.
Read the Eat a balanced, low-sugar diet fact sheet for some practical tips.
