Is Oral Health Too Far Down Student’s ‘Priority’ List?

How living the ‘student lifestyle’ can have potentially long term adverse effects on your teeth and gums.

So, you have received your letter confirming your place at university. Unless you have chosen one close to your home, the chances are that you will be moving away, possibly becoming independent for the first time. This can be a very exciting time, but will almost certainly throw up a few challenges that you weren’t expecting!

One of the challenges that your new lifestyle is likely to bring up is caring properly your oral health. In today’s blog, we offer a few suggestions on how to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible during the next few years as you study away.

Make sure to make time

Once your course really gets going, you are likely to find that your free time is much more limited. Long hours of studying can also mean that by the time you go to bed, you are very tired. The cornerstone of having a healthy mouth is to make sure that, no matter how tired you are, you continue to brush and floss your teeth both morning and evening.

Register with a dentist

Unless you are planning to return home when your dental appointments are due, you should try to find a local dental practice and make an appointment for a similar time to when your next one was due at your home dentist. Practical planning like this may be boring and can get lost when there are other distractions, but seeing a dentist regularly is essential for good oral health.

Alcohol

In all likelihood, you will, at least for a while, find that you are going out a lot more, possibly drinking with new found friends. This offers the opportunity for bonding with a new set of people, but long term and excessive use of alcohol can be a significant factor in problems such as gum disease and oral cancer. In addition to this, many alcoholic drinks aimed at younger people may also be high in tooth damaging sugar too. Try to moderate your alcohol consumption, possible alternating with soft drinks, or better still, water.

Drugs

Naturally, you shouldn’t take non prescribed drugs, but we know that this can be a reality for some students. Whilst experimentation may be tempting when you are young, some drugs, as we know, can be potentially lethal. Many will also have side effects, and even if you escape any serious health issues, you may find that side effects such as discoloured teeth, may occur. The advice of our Burton dental team is to avoid these altogether!

Good oral health care not only means that your teeth look good but also that they are strong and healthy too, and will remain so long after your university days are over. Regular professional care, such as that provided by Mike Allen’s Dental Practice in Burton is essential if you wish to achieve this. You can call us to make an appointment on 01283 845345. We look forward to seeing you!