Oral Health Care Tips for First Time Students

Keeping student’s teeth in good shape in the West Midlands

Here, in the West Midlands, we are well catered for with some of the best Universities in the UK. Recently, these institutions will have seen a new influx of students, keen and eager to learn and make their way into the world whilst also, in reality, having as good a time doing it as possible.

Of course, some students will simply get their heads down and work all the hours possible; for many though, living life as a student means living away from home for the first time in their life, with all the fun and the challenges that this brings.

Naturally, as health care professionals, we at Arthur House Dental Care in Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham are concerned that students are armed with as much knowledge as possible in order to see them through their university years in the best of health and offer the following advice to keep their oral health in good condition.

Smoking

Even those who have not smoked before may feel under pressure from their peers to do so once they are at university. It can be all too easily to slip into the patterns of others and find yourself with a health damaging habit. Of course, all students know of the risks of lung disease through smoking, but at that age, it’s safe to say that most of us feel invincible and this doesn’t feel like something to worry about at such a young age.

What fewer students are probably aware of though, is the link between smoking and dental health. As well as any discolouration of the teeth that smoking can cause (much of it reversible through a tooth whitening procedure), it is also known to be a significant factor in the cause of gum disease. Because smoking tends to leave the mouth dry, this allows the bacteria in the mouth to increase as it is not flushed away by the saliva that would normally be produced. Early signs of gum disease are sore or red gums and also gums bleeding when the teeth are being cleaned.

It can be tempting to ignore these relatively minor symptoms, especially at busier times of the year, but it is essential that these are treated early on as the long term consequences of gum disease can be very serious. Because of this, we do recommend that all students ensure that they find a good dentist whilst away from home.

Drinking

Drinking alcohol, is, of course, a very popular pastime with many students and of course, university should be fun as well as educationally rewarding. Drinking though does also have consequences for oral health.

Once again, the dry mouth syndrome comes into play along with the increased risk of gum disease. Alcohol too though, is known to be a major factor in injuries that occur when people are out socialising. Whilst we, quite naturally, hope that all students will get through their university years safely and successfully, the reality is that this will not be the case for some. Unfortunately, each year we do see students who have had their teeth damaged through accidents to which alcohol has contributed.

Falls and collisions often result in broken teeth and whilst we do all that we can, at our Sutton Coldfield practice, to save the tooth using various procedures such as dental crowns, this is not always possible and in some cases the tooth may need to be extracted. In most case, missing teeth can be replaced with techniques such as dental implants, but it is far better to avoid this happening in the first place through being sensible about the amount of alcohol that is being drunk.

If you are a first time student studying local to us in Birmingham, why not give us a call at Arthur House Dental Care and arrange a consultation with us. Through regular appointments, we can help to ensure that you will finish your course with teeth that are as healthy as when you arrived, possibly even better!

Please call us now on 0121 323 4492