Oral Health for Adults

Cavities

  • Not brushing 2 times a day
  • Too much sweet food
  • Too much sweet drinks
  • Filling breaks and not covered
  • Roots are showing
plaque and gum disease

Gum disease

  • Gums are red and swollen
  • Gums bleed with brushing
  • May be painless unless very serious
  • Can lead to tooth loss

Mouth germs make you sick

  • Heart & stroke
  • Lung infection / pneumonia
  • Harder to control blood sugar/diabetes
  • Premature and small babies

Care for your teeth

  • Soft brush with rounded bristles
  • Brush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth
  • Put bristles at the place where your gums and teeth meet
  • Brush using short back and forth motion
  • Clean every surface of every tooth
  • Brush your tongue
  • Get a new brush every 3 months
  • Use pea size amount (children and adults) of toothpaste
  • Floss at least 1 time a day
Contents from Ottawa Public Health

Visit the dentist

  • Check/treat mouth, teeth and gums
  • Check for oral cancer or diseases
  • Check/advise on false teeth
  • Get dental advice
  • Get referrals to see teeth specialists

  • Pain in teeth
  • Bad breath
  • Bleeding gums
  • Sore mouth
  • Loose teeth
  • Sensitive teeth

Care for False Teeth

  • Take them out every night
  • Brush them with toothpaste and a denture brush
  • Store them overnight in clean water in a cup
  • Brush and floss the implant gently

Hard to hold brush or floss

  • Make toothbrush handle bigger
  • Use an electric brush
  • Use a plastic floss holder

Dry Mouth = not normal

  • Medication – over 800 medications
  • Disease such as diabetes
  • Head and neck cancer and treatment

Remember

  • Healthy mouth is important to healthy body
  • Brush 2 times a day for 2 minutes each
  • Floss 1 time a day
  • Use fluoridated toothpaste
  • No teeth STILL NEED to do mouth care
  • Visit a dentist 1 time a year

Resources

Canadian Dental Care Plan

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is from the Government of Canada, helping accessing oral health care for Canadian residents with an annual family net income of less than $90,000 who do not have any other dental insurance. Please visit the Government of Canada’s website to find out more.

Information on this page can be downloaded as a handout. If you have any questions, please contact us.


Disclaimer: This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an “as is”, “where is” basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use. Last update January 2024.