First I am pleased to announce that both our trainee nurses Megan and Rosie, have passed their NEBDN exam - congratulations to them both, they have worked extremely hard - and a big thank you to all the staff at the MDC who have supported and helped them through the steep learning curve of past two years.

Back to newsletter information – this month’s is on oral health.

The Dept of Health has produced a toolkit for better oral health and its focus is on prevention rather than cure. This can be viewed in full at www.dh.gov.uk , but in summary its messages are as follows:

Tooth brushing:

• Should take place twice a day, one of which should be before bedtime. Morning and night is an easy regime to get into. Brush for 2 minutes.
• Should start with children as soon as the first deciduous tooth (milk tooth) has erupted. and should be supervised until the age of 7 because children do not have sufficient manual dexterity, with parent or guardian brushing for them initially
• Small headed toothbrush should be used with soft bristles, brushing all areas and using a mirror.
• Powered brushes with an oscillating action remove plaque more effectively and can reduce gingivitis (gum inflammation)

Fluoride:

• Children 0 to 3 years should only use a smear of fluoride toothpaste (no less than 1000 ppm)
• Children 3 to 6 years should use a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste (1350 to 1500 ppm)
• Adults should use a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste (1350 ppm or above)
• Children should be encouraged to spit out while brushing and not to suck or eat the toothpaste, whereas adults should not rinse out with water after brushing

Healthy eating:

• Restrict the consumption of sugar and salt, snacks should be sugar free and low salt.
• Drinks in between meals should be milk or water, and where possible make water the staple drink
• Adults should be cautious with fruit teas and diet drinks which, although sugar free, can cause acid erosion
• 5 portions of fruit and vegetables should be encouraged, however beware of dried fruits and fruit juices which should be consumed at meal times only
• The eating of fish should be encouraged, and cut down on saturated fats.
• For 1 hour before bedtime there must be no intake of sugar

Improving periodontal health:

• Interdental cleaning devices should be encouraged
• Mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine and toothpastes which contain triclosan will inhibit the growth of plaque, but these should be used in conjunction with the tooth brushing advice and should only be used short term.

Smoking guidance:

• Tobacco is the main risk factor for oral cancer and should be avoided

Alcohol guidance:

• stick to DoH guidance for units of alcohol:
• men no more than 21 units of alcohol per week (4 units per day)
• women no more than 14 units of alcohol per week (3 units per day)
• avoid binge drinking (ie all units in 1 day)
• alcopop-type drinks should be avoided due to their high acid content

Erosion prevention:

• Do not brush immediately after any acid food or drink, and do not brush immediately even after vomiting- rinsing with water will help.
• sources of food and drink that cause erosion include:
• white wine
• cider
• beer
• fruit tea
• pickles
• fruit juices
• citrus fruit such as oranges and lemons
• carbonated drinks including diet drinks

 

February 2012 Newsletter

 

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