5 Things Singaporeans Didn’t Know About Oral Health

Brush Up On Your Oral Health

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We’ve all sat through enough dental health talks and had several dummy mouth models shoved in our faces to know that oral health is important. Yet, when it comes down to deciding between 15 minutes of flossing and an extra 15 minutes of snooze, the choice is always clear. 

Oral hygiene is something we do everyday out of habit but there’s actually more to it that’s often overlooked – like how oral disease can give you an unsolicited face-change. The horror. Sink your teeth into these five facts about oral health – you’ll definitely reconsider skipping out on that nighttime rinse.

1. You can have bad breath but never know it.

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You’re probably unaware that you have deadly halitosis and there are a few reasons why this happens. The scientifically-proven reason is that our bodies are genetically-adapted to be unable to smell our own bad breath.

Another reason is that your friends likely don’t have the heart to call you out on it. Either way, don’t let bad breath ruin good friendships. Here’s a sure-fire way of checking if you’ve got a case of the oral stinkies:

• Step 1: Lick your wrist.
• Step 2: Let it dry for a moment.
• Step 3: Take a whiff.

Tip: Bring along a mini bottle of mouthwash with you while you’re on the go. You never know when you might bump into someone familiar right after having eaten that sinful durian dessert.

2. Gum disease will change your face for the worse.

Gum disease is actually really common – 9 out of 10 people are likely to get it in their lifetime, and unfortunately it’s not just one of the things you can sweep under the rug. If allowed to worsen, gum disease will adversely affect how you look. It can spread to facial areas, damaging your cheeks and jaw, shifting your teeth and significantly aging you – it’s the perfect recipe for a botched facial reconstruction.

And in a case of “that escalated quickly”, gum disease can also lead to heart attacks – among several other heart and respiratory diseases. Don’t sleep on proper oral care – it can help you maintain that genetically-ordained face contour and save you from a fatal illness.

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FYI: People think that they brush more than 2.5 times longer than they actually do. To avoid this, use a toothbrush with a timer or play your favourite pop song while brushing. By the time the 2-3 minutes is up, you can be sure that you’ve brushed long enough.

3. Tooth enamel, the hardest thing on your body, protects you from feeling the most painful sensation.

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Introducing your tooth enamel, the semi-translucent coating on the outer layer of your teeth that’s harder than any washboard 6-pack abs imaginable. Enamel protects the tiny, sensitive nerves in your teeth from being exposed.

If plaque build-up ever gets bad enough that it punctures through it, best believe that you’ll be in for a world of pain – the kind movie torture scenes are based off of. Save yourself from self-inflicted pain and start cutting down on the sugary sweet stuff.

4. Bleeding while brushing is a sign of gingivitis.

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When something happens often enough, we sometimes lead ourselves to believe that it’s normal. In this case, it’s not. Bleeding while brushing is one of the first signs of gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums brought about by excessive plaque.

Much like the swollen lips you’ll get from attempting the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, swollen gums is not a cute look. Brushing extra hard is not good practice either. Over-brushing can cause your teeth to get weaker and more sensitive to hot and cold food – a nightmare for all foodies out there.

Tip: Opt for a toothbrush with softer bristles or use toothpaste and mouthwash specially-made for sensitive teeth.

5. Oral disease treatment can cost you an entire month’s salary or more.

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Remember those free dental checkups we got in school? Besides being not free anymore, a dental checkup is going to set you back by at least a few thousand bucks. To make things worse, oral disease is the 4th most expensive disease to treat, and trust us when we say: avoid at all costs.

Us Singaporean cheapos may be experts at money-saving hacks, but dental visits shouldn’t be one of them. Invest in proper oral care – you’ll resent yourself fifty years from now when the crown you’re donning is the one on your tooth.

FYI: You’re almost as likely to get gum disease as you are to get a cold. Here’s a PSA reminding you to not skimp on dental care. A simple step you can take is adding flossing to your morning routine.

Up your smile game with Listerine

Even if you’re brushing twice a day, you’re still not doing enough to protect your teeth and gums. Brushing removes only 30-53% of plaque and flossing can only get to so much of the hard-to-reach places in your mouth. Without thorough cleaning, new bacteria grows back very quickly – effectively nulling your efforts.

Ensure a holistic 3-step oral care routine that’s rounded out with Listerine. It’s made from a unique essential oil blend of thymol, menthol and eucalyptol to help combat the most stubborn plaque and even slow down their return. Save yourself the pain and the bucks of preventable gum problems by adopting better oral care habits now.

Find out more about LISTERINE® here!

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This post was brought to you by Johnson & Johnson.