According to a 2003 survey by Singapore's Health Promotion Board, about 85% of adult Singaporeans have some form of gum disease.
Billions of bacteria and other microscopic creatures live in the mouth. These can have serious effects on the health of teeth and gums.
A 2009 Singapore Straits Times report quoted Dr Stanley Chia, a consultant at the Singapore National Heart Centre that during infection, mouth bacteria could enter the bloodstream and possibly start a series of bodily events leading to heart attacks.
Parents (adults) must lead in taking oral hygiene seriously
I know of working people who take their oral hygiene seriously, to the extent of brushing their teeth after every meal during office hours. Most of us settle for the morning get-up and night go-to-bed routines.
Sometimes, sheer tiredness or just plain laziness make us forgo this ritual.
Maybe in the office, it could be because you don't want to breathe stale or odorific air into a colleague's or visitor's face.
At home, we might be tempted to relax...after all, who would we be trying to impress, eh? But the kids are watching, and we are the role models.
Now as the latest study by University of Buffalo researchers reinforces, this has much more serious health implications. An added reason as to why our kids (and us) should maintain a regular oral health routine which includes periodic visits to the dentist.
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