‘Tis the season to brush, floss, rinse and chew!

KARACHI, Pakistan - Feb. 19, 2014 - PRLog -- The holiday season is upon us, and this very often means over indulging in traditional and often unhealthy food and drink. Whilst festive food varies wildly around the world from glazed pan dulce in Argentina, to candy canes in the United States or gingerbread houses in Germany, they all have one common denominator: a high sugar content.

The worldwide average sugar intake is around 30kg per person each year, an amount sufficiently high to cause severe health issues including tooth decay. These problems are accentuated during the festive season due to the high levels of sugar in traditional food and drink enjoyed in many countries around the world, and made worse by the excessive quantities often consumed at this time of year. A recent study has shown that during the holiday season, almost half of the population eats one and a half times more than normal, and a further 25% eat twice as much food as usual.[1] Precisely because of this it’s especially important to limit the consumption of sugary foods and drinks this time of the year.

Over 60% of those participating in the study admitted that one of the main reasons for their overeating during the holidays was as a result of indulging in sugary sweets and treats.

Given these alarming statistics, Dr. Tin Chun Wong, FDI President, noted, “the least we can do to protect our teeth and gums from the onslaught of sugary substances is to reinforce our dental routine and remember to brush, floss, rinse, and chew every day”.

“We want to make sure everyone is aware of the dangers of overindulging in sugary foods during the festive period, and ensure they are aware of how to look after their teeth and gums” stated the FDI president. “For this reason FDI recommends following a simple oral health care routine in order to protect one’s teeth and keep a healthy smile”.

These guidelines form part of the World Oral health Day educational objectives and include suggestions such as:

Brush your teeth for two minutes at least two times a day – ideally with a fluoride toothpaste

Floss every day
Complete your dental routine with a mouth rinse or chew sugar-free gum after meals if unable to brush as well regular dental check-ups.

This is an important message to keep in mind not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year and especially on the 20th of March 2014 when the whole world will celebrate healthy smiles on World Oral Health Day.

Dr. Tin Chun Wong concluded, “we hope everyone enjoys the festive season, just remember that sugar never takes a holiday, your teeth will thank you!

About World Oral Health Day
World Oral Health Day is celebrated every year on 20th March. The theme of World Oral Health Day 2014 is ‘Celebrating Healthy Smiles’. It reflects the major contribution oral health makes to our lives. Around the world, FDI member dental associations, schools, companies and other groups will celebrate the day with events organized under this single, unifying and simple message.

About FDI
FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for more than one million dentists worldwide, developing health policy and continuing education programmes, speaking as a unified voice for dentistry in international advocacy, and supporting member associations in global oral health promotion activities. Over the years, it has developed programmes, initiatives, campaigns, policies and congresses, always with a view to occupying a space that no other not-for-profit group can claim.

FDI works at national and international level through its own activities and those of its member dental associations. It is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and a member of the World Health Professionals Alliance (WHPA).

For more information, visit: www.fdiworldental.org or http://www.wohdpk.com