Other Useful Information

• Braces

  Your dentist may recommend orthodontic work to straighten your teenager's teeth and/or to improve overcrowding.

  The issues with the teeth and how these are likely to affect them, will determine if the treatment is available on the NHS or will need to be privately funded.

  There is advice on caring for your braces and keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

  Once braces are removed your child will need to wear a retainer brace  to stop the teeth moving back into their old position.

  Find more information about living with a brace

• Tooth Injuries

  If your child takes part in contact sports it is wise to use a mouth guard to reduce the risk of injury. Your dental team can give you advice on this.

  If your child does injure a tooth seek advice as soon as possible by calling your dentist, or if it is out of hours you can contact 111.

  If a tooth comes out - place the tooth in milk in a sealed container and take with you to the dentist as soon as possible.

• Chewing Gum

  Chewing sugar free gum has been shown to reduce tooth decay by up to 40%.

  Chewing a sugar free gum after eating increases saliva in the mouth - this is the body's natural defence against acids and bacteria that cause tooth decay.

  If you do chew gum:

  • Chew after food and drinks for about 20 minutes
  • Make sure it is sugar free
  • Make sure you continue to brush teeth twice a day - chewing gum does not replace this
  • Don't give any to young children as it is not recommended for children age seven and younger
  • Chewing gum is not recommended if you are wearing braces.

• Piercings

  Piercings of the tongue or lip have become more common with many young people choosing to do this.

  There is no minimum age for piercings in England – children and young people can consent for themselves  (many places who do piercings impose their own age limits).

  It is important that your child has all the facts of how this could affect their oral health.

  Piercings in the mouth can be a cause of damage to teeth and carry health risks, such as:

  • Tooth enamel can be chipped and cracked causing damage that requires dental treatment.
  • Effects on speech, such as lisps and slurring.
  • Chewing and swallowing can become difficult.
  • Piercing can cause blood loss and has a risk of blood borne infections like Hepatitis B.
  • Permanent numbness to the tongue.
  • Sepsis: The mouth contains bacteria that could pass into the blood stream whilst the piercing wound is new, causing sepsis.

  If your child has decided to have an oral piercing here are some tips:

  • Choose a place to have the piercing that is clean and registered with the local authority (this means it will be checked for basic hygiene levels).
  • Keep the mouth as clean as possible with regular brushing and by using an antiseptic mouthwash (an hour after brushing).
  • Use an antiseptic mouthwash (an hour after brushing).
  • See their dentist to discuss how to keep their mouth healthy.
  • Not ‘play or fiddle’ with the piercing as this increases damage to tooth enamel.
  • Follow the advice from Public Health England on care of oral piercing.

• Smoking, Vaping and Drugs

  Smoking is bad for oral health.

  • The tar and nicotine cause brown staining on the teeth.
  • Harmful bacteria in teeth increase and the blood supply that keeps teeth and gums healthy decrease; this can eventually lead to gum disease and can cause tooth loss.
  • Smoking also increases the risk of developing mouth cancers.
  • For help in stopping smoking

  Find support in stopping smoking here

  Vaping is relatively new and so the long term effects on oral health are not certain. However, it is currently thought to be less harmful than smoking tobacco.

  • If nicotine based vape juice is used it can cause gum disease.
  • It may cause tooth staining.

  Drugs can cause dental problems;

  • Some drugs such as cannabis are mixed with tobacco so have the same risks as smoking cigarettes.
  • They can cause craving for sweet foods and drinks causing tooth decay.
  • They can cause a dry mouth which means there is less saliva to protect teeth from bacteria and acids.
  • Teeth grinding can damage the surface of the teeth.