Oral Health Month – One family, different oral-care needs: is it time to rethink your routine?

Oral Health month – We tend to think of oral care as one of the simpler parts of our day: brush your teeth in the morning, brush again at night and encourage the rest of the family to do the same.

But good oral care isn’t quite as one-size-fits-all as we might think.

A young child learning good brushing habits, a teenager with braces, an adult experiencing bleeding or sensitive gums and an older family member with changing oral-care needs may all share the same bathroom, but that doesn’t mean they need the same products or should follow exactly the same routine. 

This Oral Health Month, it may be worth taking a closer look at what’s happening in your household.

Your mouth is part of the bigger health picture

Looking after your mouth isn’t only about keeping your teeth clean and your breath fresh.

Gum disease has been associated with more than 50 systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while emerging research is also exploring links between oral health and depression. 

Yet there are still some significant gaps in our habits. An Ivodent and GUM survey of South African dental professionals found that only around a third of South Africans clean between their teeth daily, while an estimated 40% use an incorrect technique. 

So, where should you start?

Start with the person, not the product

Walk down an oral-care aisle and you’ll find toothbrushes, toothpastes, floss, interdental brushes, mouthrinses and products designed for a wide range of specific needs.

The trick isn’t simply adding more products to your bathroom shelf. It’s understanding what you need.

Age is one consideration, but it’s certainly not the only one. Someone with braces will face different cleaning challenges to someone with implants, while another person may need more support cleaning between their teeth or caring for their gums. 

And what works for you now may not always be what you need. Getting braces or implants, for example, can be a reason to reassess what you’re doing at home.

Brushing is important but it’s not the whole routine

For most of us, brushing is the oral-care habit we learn first and the one that tends to get most of our attention.

But your toothbrush can’t do everything.

For Oral Health Month, GUM is putting the focus on four simple steps:

1. Clean your tongue
Make tongue cleaning part of your daily oral care.

2. Clean between your teeth
Use an appropriate interdental tool to clean the spaces your toothbrush may not adequately reach.

3. Brush with toothpaste
Brushing remains at the heart of daily oral care, helping to clean the visible surfaces of your teeth.

4. Use a mouthrinse where appropriate
Depending on your needs, mouthrinse can form the final step.

As Ivohealth Oral Hygiene Advisor and GUM spokesperson Dirna Grobbelaar explains: “Brushing tends to get most of our attention, which means other parts of oral care can easily be overlooked. Looking at the complete routine can help you spot the gaps and make sure you’re giving the rest of your mouth the attention it needs.”

Give your bathroom an Oral Health Month check

When last did you really look at what’s happening in your bathroom? Not whether everyone owns a toothbrush, but whether everyone has what they need to care for their mouth properly.

A quick check could include:

• Are we cleaning between our teeth every day? 
• Are we cleaning our tongues? 
• Does anyone have braces, implants or other dental work that requires extra attention? 
• Is anyone experiencing bleeding gums, sensitivity, bad breath or dry mouth? 
• Has anything changed that might mean it’s time to rethink the products we’re using? 

The aim isn’t to make oral care more complicated. It’s to make it easier to understand what each person needs and build good habits around it.

Need some help getting started?

The GUM Family Routine Builder asks four quick questions and uses your answers to help build a tailored GUM routine. 

And if you’re unsure about what’s right for you or someone in your family, speak to your dentist or oral hygienist for personalised guidance.

Find your GUM routine