South Africans urged to practice good oral hygiene

The World Health Organisation (WHO) finding that oral diseases affects nearly 3.5 billion people.

Experts are urging South Africans to be on the lookout for warning signs.

September is National Oral Health Month and experts say that gum disease ranks second only to the common cold in terms of prevalence, with an estimated 90% of South Africans experiencing it at some point.

Oral Hygiene Advisor Dirna Grobbelaar says even the best toothbrush can miss areas, so it’s crucial to get a professional clean, ideally every six months.

“Gum disease is very common, one of the first signs is bleeding gums, especially when you try to clean in between and is something that you don’t do on a regular basis. So, you leave plague in between the teeth and when you brush, there would be bleeding, that’s the first sign of gum disease, the reason people don’t know is that there is no pain or discomfort involved and by the time you feel anything, it is quite severe already.”

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HEADLINE: As September marks National Oral Health Month, local experts are urging people to look out for the warning signs #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/j7paPajV19

— SABC News Radio (@SABCNews_Radio) September 25, 2024