Dental Health Week 2019: How is your oral health tracking?

Advice, Announcements, Hygiene / By

In 2019, following the continuing rise of food and physical activity trackers, Australians are constantly tracking their general health whether it be tracking their food consumption (“Have I eaten enough fruit and veges today?”) or tracking their daily physical activity (“Did I reach 10,000 steps today?”). But, are enough Australians tracking their oral health?

The Australian Dental Association’s annual Dental Health Week is taking place from 5 to 11 August, asking Australians to consider… ‘How is your oral health tracking?’

Dental Health Week endeavours to promote the following key oral health messages to Australians:

  1. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
  2. Cleaning in between the teeth at least once a day using floss or an interdental brush
  3. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and limiting sugar intake
  4. Regularly visiting the dentist for check-ups and preventive treatment

I know you must be thinking… how can I possibly track my oral health on top of everything else I am already tracking on my never ending To-Do List?!

Luckily for you, the ADA has developed Oral Health Tracker report cards (a world-first initiative!) to help you keep on track with your oral health (https://www.ada.org.au/oralhealthtracker).

So why do you, and the rest of Australia, need to track oral health? Don’t most Australians brush twice a day, floss at least once a day and visit their dentist at least every 6 months for a check-up?

While the aim is to ensure that the majority of Australians are practicing good oral health, the following statistics and infographics illustrate a completely different picture:

  • 65% of Australians haven’t seen a dentist in the last two years
  • 50% of Australians brush their teeth only once-a-day
  • Nearly 40% never floss or clean between their teeth
  • 73% of young people (14-18 years) are consuming too much sugar.

This Dental Health Week (and every day after that!), we challenge you to track your oral health and make practising good oral health a high priority!

Feel free to contact us by phone (9880 8292), or at your next dental check-up appointment, to learn more about Dental Health Week and how you can make efforts to track and improve your oral health in 2019.

Happy Tracking!