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Smile, It is Time to Shine

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

ENGLISH

Oral health is central to a person’s well-being and quality of life. Yet many American’s suffer from poor oral health due to lack of access to a dental provider, financial reasons, and other health issues that contribute to tooth and gum decay. According to the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3 out of 4 Hispanics and Blacks, have an unmet need for dental treatment.

In the meantime, to avoid suffering from tooth decay, cavities (also known as caries), and gum disease, make sure to:

Dry mouth can cause oral health problems. If your medication causes dry mouth talk to your physician about changing it or drink plenty of water to keep your mouth moist.

If you have diabetes, try to control it. This will decrease risk for other complications, including gum disease.

Oral Health for Babies and Children

Oral health for babies and children starts before their teeth come in. The CDC recommends that you wipe down the babies gums with a wet, clean cloth after every feeding. And as soon as you see the first tooth come out, brush it with water twice a day with a soft bristle brush. When you baby turns 1-year-old, schedule their first visit to the dentist. Then start a regular routine of brushing their teeth twice a day with a small pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.

Pregnancy and Oral Health

When you’re pregnant, you may be more prone to gum disease and cavities, which can affect your baby’s health due to changes in your hormones. It is important to continue with your oral health routine of brushing daily and seeing your dentist. It is safe to see your dentist while you are pregnant.

The information on this blog post was obtained from the following sources:

American Academy of Pediatrics, Oral Health Toolkit, https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/campaigns/tiny-teeth/Pages/default.aspx

Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention, Oral Health Basics, https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/index.html

ESPAÑOL 

La salud bucal es fundamental para el bienestar y la calidad de vida de una persona. Sin embargo, muchos estadounidenses sufren de mala salud bucal debido a la falta de acceso a un proveedor dental, razones financieras y otros problemas de salud que contribuyen a la caries dental y descomposición de la encía. Según el Centro Para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC), 3 de cada 4 hispanos y afroamericanos, tienen una necesidad insatisfecha de tratamiento dental.

Mientras tanto, para evitar sufrir de caries y enfermedad de las encías, asegúrese de que haga lo siguiente:

La boca seca puede causar problemas de salud bucal. Si el medicamento causa sequedad en la boca, habla con tu médico acerca de cambiarlo o bebe mucha agua para mantener la boca húmeda.

Si tienes diabetes, trata de controlarla. Esto disminuirá el riesgo de otras complicaciones, incluyendo la enfermedad de las encías.

Salud oral para bebés y niños

La salud bucal de los bebés y los niños comienza antes de que entren los dientes. El CDC recomiendan que limpie las encías de los bebés con un paño húmedo y limpio después de cada alimentación. Y tan pronto como veas salir el primer diente, cepíllelo con agua dos veces al día con un cepillo de cerdas suaves. Cuando su bebé cumpla 1 año de edad, programe su primera visita al dentista. Luego comienza una rutina regular de cepillarse los dientes dos veces al día con una pequeña cantidad del tamaño de un guisante de pasta de dientes con flúor.

Embarazo y salud bucal

Cuando estás embarazada, es posible que seas más propensa a la enfermedad de las encías y a las caries debido a cambios en las hormonas. Esto puede afectar la salud de tu bebé. Es importante continuar con tu rutina de salud bucal de cepillarse diariamente y ver a tu dentista regularmente. Es seguro ver al dentista mientras estás embarazada.

La información en esta entrada de blog se obtuvo por las siguientes fuentes:

American Academy of Pediatrics, Oral Health Toolkit, https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/campaigns/tiny-teeth/Pages/default.aspx

Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention, Oral Health Basics, https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/index.html

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