World Oral Health Day 2016: Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

In conjunction with World Oral Health Day 2016, Philips is collaborating with the World Dental Federation (FDI) to actively promote the importance of good oral health and spread awareness of its impact on a person’s overall health.

Themed ‘It all starts here. Healthy mouth. Healthy body.’ this year, the World Oral Health Day is celebrated on March 20 every year, and sees the participation of more than a million dentists around the world.

According to Oral Health Worldwide (2014): A report by FDI World Dental Federation, oral health is more than dental health as it covers the health of the gums, hard and soft palate, linings of the mouth and throat, tongue, lips, salivary glands, chewing muscles, and upper and lower jaws. Oral health and general health are closely linked as oral diseases can also lead to infection, inflammation, and other serious impact on overall health.

“We want to remind Malaysians that brushing and flossing can do much more than give you a nice smile and pleasant breath. We will be sharing tips and offering guidance on how to make simple changes in our daily regime that can have a big impact, to help Malaysians achieve a healthy smile and a healthier body.” said Muhammad Ali Jaleel, Country Manager for Philips Malaysia.

According to dentist Dr Halina Haron from Klinik Pergigian Halina, Bangsar who has more than 25 years of experience, “Research by the Ministry of Health indicates that as many as 98.3% of Malaysians do not have sufficient oral healthcare with 94% of them having gum problems. Malaysians need to know that gum disease can have an impact on their general health. For example, gum disease can even interrupt regulation of blood glucose among diabetics. There is also research on the possible link between gum disease and infective endocarditis, cardiovascular disease and even risk of low birth weight babies among pregnant women.”

“90% of dental problems usually arise from the accumulation of plaque between the teeth. Hence, brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day is a must for removing as much plaque as possible.” Dr Halina added.

There’s no better time to start improving our oral healthcare than now!