How to Improve My Dental Health in 2026

There are some simple and effective rules that we can follow when considering improving and maintaining our dental health.

The oral cavity encompasses teeth, gums, soft and hard tissues.

To care for our mouth is of equal importance as caring for all other body parts.

Looking after your teeth:

Dental decay is caused by neglecting oral hygiene in combination with taking in a refined sugary diet. Plaque on the tooth’s surface is an accumulation of food debris and bacteria. When interacting with sugars, acid formation occurs which will attack the tooth’s outer surface and hence cause cavities. These will give rise to sensitivity and pain over time.

Bad breath is an unpleasant side effect when retaining dental plaque and avoiding good oral hygiene.

Looking after your gums:

Gum disease is common and occurs in different stages.

The first signs of gum disease are “bleeding” gums. The retention of bacteria on and around our gums will cause them to swell, redden and bleed (gingivitis). This condition is reversible by improving brushing and by cleaning in between each tooth. Gums will become pink, tight and with no signs of blood.

Untreated gingivitis will give origin to “advanced” gum disease (periodontitis).

Gum pockets of varying depth will form around the teeth into which bacteria will settle. These will progressively attack the surrounding bone and hence cause tooth mobility and sadly tooth loss.

Looking after surrounding tissues:

It is not unusual that the tongue, palate and attached gums are structures of the oral cavity that are often ignored. We must keep in mind that these components can be showing underlying systemic diseases such as diabetes, HIV, autoimmune conditions and cancers.

We can of course clean the oral cavity in its entirety by gentle brushing and tongue cleaners.

Your dentist will examine these structures when attending for six-monthly check ups. Hence you will ensure that any illness is detected and treated accordingly.

Action list for 2026

ORAL HYGIENE IS KEY

Dental Hygiene visits every 3-6 months should be booked in advance.

A individualised hygiene home programme is to be followed meticulously.

REGULAR CHECK UPS ARE VITAL

The examination of teeth, gums and surrounding tissues by a dentist will avoid short- and long term dental disease.

JOIN A MAINTENANCE PLAN

We can be forgetful. Why not join a maintenance plan at an affordable monthly cost to be reminded of regular visits to your dentist? Appointments will be generated at regular intervals so that the headache of organising them is taken care of.

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