Having a healthy mouth is important for overall health and wellbeing. Healthy teeth and gums play an important part in your ability to smile, eat, speak and socialise.
If you’re an adult (18 years and over), you’re not eligible for free routine dental care. You’ll be covering the costs of your dental care yourself. More than ever, it’s important to have good oral health.
On these pages, you will find the facts and simple tips on how to take care of your teeth, and keep them – for life.
If you have any questions, be sure to ask your dentist.
Take care of your teeth
Taking care of your teeth needn’t be a difficult task.
It’s as simple as 5 minutes a day – brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day:
- before going to sleep at night
- in the morning, after breakfast.
Other things you could do to help protect your oral health are:
- floss daily
- visit your dentist for check-ups
- have a healthy diet that’s low in sugar
- stop smoking.
Reproduced with the permission of the New Zealand Dental Association, based on the ‘Keeping Your Teeth for a Lifetime ... Easy As’ resource.
