Get ready to polish up those pearly whites as April is oral health month.  The Manitoba Dental Association (MDA) is using this month to bring awareness about the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and gums for overall general health. “A lot of times when you see your dentist, your dentist isn’t just looking for cavities in your mouth, they’re also looking for other potential disorders you may have that can be shown through rapidly dividing cell tissue (oral mucosa) or other illnesses such as cancer,” said MDA president Dr. Michael Sullivan, who works at Portage Dental Associates. The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) reports that poor oral health will not only affect a person’s ability to chew and digest food properly, but could also be a sign of something more serious. The CDA states there might be a relationship, or link, between oral disease and other health problems such as diabetes, certain kinds of pneumonia, heart disease, stroke, as well as premature and low birth-weight babies. The CDA also reports that every year approximately 3,200 Canadians are diagnosed with oral cancer, of which 1,050 deaths will result. People over the age of 45 are most at risk. In his 30-year career, Sullivan has seen his fair share of oral health problems, but he said the most prevalent oral issue most patients have is related to tissue damage. “The number one issue is gingivitis, gum disease, you do see some people with cavities but more with gum issues,” he said. Advances in oral technology, such as electric toothbrushes and better toothpastes, are helping people achieve proper gum health, according to Sullivan. “There are some people who do an excellent job (at maintaining oral health) and others that don’t. It’s about creating awareness among that segment of the population – take care of your teeth,” he said. The CDA reports that 48 per cent of Canadians, who don’t see a dentist at least once a year, acquire gum disease and that seven out of 10 will develop the illness at some time in their lives. In the past 30 to 40 years, the way Canadians take care of their teeth has changed from a reactive approach to a more proactive approach, according to Dr. Scott Mather of Brightside Dental “Before, patients would feel that since there was no pain there was no problem and when they finally had pain, they would go into the dentist. Usually at that point, when a patient has pain with a tooth, there are substantial amounts of work that need to be done and sometimes the tooth isn’t salvageable, whereas today the shift is much more of a proactive form,” he said. In 2011, Canadians spent $13.7 billion for dental services, according to the CDA. Both Mather and Sullivan recommend people visit their dentist at least once a year or every six months and to brush and floss regularly to maintain tooth and gum health. Another shift in dental care is the rise in cosmetic procedures.“I feel that patients are moving more towards wanting to look their best and wanting the Hollywood smile,” said Mather. “Which are great and fantastic things to do, but that will have to be built on a base of good oral health.” To build on that base, the MDA and the provincial department of education have been teaching school children from kindergarten to Grade 6 about proper dental care. “Each year, kids get their own oral health curriculum that brings awareness,” said Sullivan. “Oral health used to be they zeroed in on one month out of the year, now it tends to be all year round with the delivery of programs and things of that nature.” To learn more about oral care visit the Canadian Dental Association’s website. svjetlana.mlinarevic@sunmedia.ca Twitter: @PDGSvjetlana Fact box: Manitoba and Newfoundland have the highest percentage of dentists under the age of 35 than anywhere else in the country (33 per cent). Ontario has the highest number of dentists (8,912) while Manitoba comes in fifth place with 635. The majority of dentists in Canada aged 35 and older are men, but that trend is changing as women are overtaking men in the profession in the 34 and younger age group. Seventy-three per cent of Manitobans receive fluoridated water. -Sources: Canadian Dental Association and Manitoba Dental Association