The Team at Withers Dental would like to wish all mothers a Happy Mothers Day filled with smiles and fond memories.
A mothers love lasts a lifetime, so should a healthy smile. If you are a new mother, a mother with older children or an ‘experienced’ mother/grandmother, we have a few tips through the various stages of parenting.
If you are a new or expecting mother, time can be limited with altered sleep patterns, establishing new routines and having new priorities. This is an important time to create a healthy dental visiting pattern if not already in place. The teeth can be at risk of acid erosion due to repeated vomiting from morning sickness. Rinsing with water immediately after vomiting can reduce the damage to teeth. Gum health can also be affected. Mild to moderate gum disease is common in pregnant women due to reduced immune function coupled with incomplete removal of plaque and hard calculus build up. Establishing healthy dental habits for infants is also paramount. As soon as the first tooth comes through, tooth brushing (or wiping the baby’s teeth with a damp cloth if a toothbrush it tricky) and regular dental check ups should commence. An appointment with one of our hygienists can assist you in ensuring optimum dental and gum health during pregnancy.
With so much time invested in children and all of their commitments, mothers put their own health needs aside and often delay check ups. For busy mothers, setting aside family time for brushing and flossing can ensure both children and parents dental health is maintained through role modelling. There are many ‘apps’ available which can help make tooth brushing less eventful and even fun. Dental professionals recommend assisting or checking children’s tooth brushing up to the age of 8 (although we do understand the struggle) and for busy mothers to take time for themselves to schedule regular dental checkups.
For those mothers who’s children have left the nest there is (hopefully) more time to put themselves first. Adults in general are living longer and it has been established that dental health can impact on overall health. As women age, there is more emphasis on hormones and other factors such as osteoporosis that can increase the risk of bone loss and gum disease. Throughout life, prevention of dental and gum disease is much cheaper and easier than treating the disease itself. Regular dental check ups can identify suspicious areas before they become a problem, so you are able to tweak home care to optimise prevention.
Gift Ideas for Mum:
Electric Toothbrushes- get one with interchangeable heads so the whole family can take advantage!
A Dental Kit- for those mothers who are on the go (contains a toothbrush, toothpaste, inter-dental brushes, floss and mouthwash in a stylish travel case).
Teeth Whitening- the gift of a beautiful white smile will never get old!