Viva Vitality: Add ‘oral health’ to your New Year’s resolutions

By Jenna Lannan on January 10, 2025.

A new year is the perfect time for resolutions. Adding oral health care to that list could impact your life immensely. Tooth decay is still one of the most prevalent – and preventable – chronic diseases in both adults and children.

Diet plays an instrumental role in tooth decay. The mouth contains hundreds of bacteria which are both healthy and harmful. The harmful bacteria feast on the sugars that enter our mouths when we eat sugary or starchy foods. These bacteria create acids that harm and destroy tooth enamel. Every time we eat something these acid attacks occur.

Saliva is constantly trying to reverse this process. When individuals have dry mouth from medication, mouth breathing, or genetics, they have less saliva thus making them more prone to tooth decay.

It is important to limit the amount of sugary and starchy foods that we eat. Avoiding sticky foods like crackers, raisins or anything that can get stuck in the grooves of teeth is essential for healthy teeth. Also, it is important to refrain from allowing children to sip juice all day, even if the juice is watered down, because this puts them at high risk for acid attacks. Instead, offer a whole food diet consisting of a variety of fruits and vegetables and offer water as the drink of choice.

So, where does fluoride play its role? Fluoride is a mineral that strengthens enamel. In the correct dose, it helps prevent tooth decay in two ways. First, fluoride penetrates tooth enamel and strengthens the enamel so that it is more resistant to cavities. Second, fluoride inhibits one of the enzymes that is necessary for acid production. Simply put, no acid means no cavities.

When your child gets their first tooth, start brushing with a fluoride toothpaste. Look for a toothpaste that is approved by the Canadian Dental Association. For children under three years old, use a grain of rice size amount of toothpaste. For children three years and older, use a pea-size amount.

Flossing teeth is also so important. Wherever the teeth touch there is a contact that cannot be adequately cleaned by a toothbrush. Flossing every night prevents food getting trapped and helps this high-risk area remain clean.

Alberta Health Services offers a free dental screening and fluoride varnish for children 12-35 months old. Call your local health unit to book an appointment.

Alberta Child Health Benefits is for families with limited income that may not have insurance or money to go to the dentist or other medical providers. For more information, visit alberta.ca/alberta-child-health-benefit or call 1-877-469-5437.

Alberta Seniors Benefits are available for eligible residents in Alberta over the age of 65. For more information visit alberta.ca/alberta-seniors-benefit or contact 1-877-644-9992.

Visit the Government of Canada website at Canada.ca for more information on the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Jenna Lannan is a Registered Dental Hygienist with Alberta Health Services Oral Health department.