Early tooth loss due to decay can impair speech development, and students may fall behind in schoolwork due to increased absences. When they are at school, students experiencing dental pain may have trouble concentrating and learning.

Dentists report a range of dental problems in children they see, including dental caries, gum disease, poor bite, loose teeth and oral trauma. If left untreated, the pain and infection from these oral health problems can lead to eating, speaking and learning problems.

Students with chronic dental pain are not always able to verbalise it. Teachers may notice that a student is anxious, depressed or fatigued, but not automatically recognize these behaviours as manifestations of physical pain. When children’s dental problems are treated and they are no longer in pain, both their learning and school-attendance records improve.

The start of a new school year is a good time to evaluate your children’s dental health and habits. It may be time for a check-up and a new toothbrush. Checking oral health is as important as booster shots and should be part of regular back-to-school preparations.

Even with regular checkups, dentists recommend that parents periodically check their children’s mouths for signs of periodontal disease, including bleeding, swollen and/or bright red gums, persistent bad breath and gums that have receded from teeth.

Certainly this is not only a problem for children. Toothaches are the most common pain of the mouth or face reported by adults. This pain can interfere with vital functions such as eating, swallowing and talking. Almost one of every four adults report some form of facial pain yearly.

It is only natural to ask what one can do to maintain good oral health and minimize the possibility of toothaches and gum problems. The best thing is to follow what is considered to be the essential five steps, which will help you obtain a healthy smile.

1. Take a little extra time to give your teeth the care they deserve.

Did you know that it takes two to three minutes to adequately brush your teeth but that most people spend less than 30 seconds brushing? Brushing removes bacteria from our teeth so they can no longer produce acid. It is important, however, to remove bacteria from all tooth surfaces. This takes two to three minutes

2. Do a little flossing. It just might save your teeth.

You’ve heard that you need to floss at least once a day. But has anyone ever told you why? Again, it has to do with bacteria. It hides between teeth to escape the wrath of the toothbrush. Here it continues to feed on food spewing out cavity-causing acid. Worse yet – if allowed to remain for a long time, these bacteria invade and destroy gum tissue as well as the bones and ligaments that support teeth.

3. It is not just the candy that is dangerous to your smile.

Bacteria not only use candy to create acid but can also use any food that contains sugars and other carbohydrates. This includes fruits, peanut butter, crackers, potato chips, popcorn and other items. Especially harmful can be foods like peanut butter and raisins that stick to teeth where they provide a constant source of energy for bacteria. Brush after every meal to remove both the bacteria and left over food particles which bacteria feast on. If you cannot brush after eating, try washing food down with liquids which ensures that less food remains on teeth.

4. Stop brushing so hard.

Incredibly, nearly two out of three people damage their own teeth by brushing too hard! It takes very little pressure to remove bacteria, food and plaque. Unfortunately, most people apply three to four times the necessary brushing pressure, causing damage to teeth and gums.

5. Reduce your dependency on coffee.

Believe it or not, coffee is one of the most dangerous threats to your smile. Coffee stains teeth, destroying your naturally white smile. Worse yet, because most people sip coffee throughout the day, bacteria are provided with a constant source of sugar from which to produce cavity-causing acid.

Having followed these five essential steps, just don’t forget to keep smiling!