A smile can last a lifetime-if you take care of it. For that reason, it’s important for parents to instill good oral health habits in children as early as possible.
According to U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona’s “National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health” report, children lose more than 51 million school hours and adults lose more than 164 million work hours each year due to dental disease or dental visits. The nation’s total bill for dental services was estimated to be more than $70.1 billion in 2002.
“Oral health disease is making disturbing inroads into communities across the country,” Dr. Marsha Butler, Colgate-Palmolive’s Vice President, Global Oral Health and Professional Relations, explains. “For children between the ages of 5 and 17 here in the U.S., tooth decay is more common than asthma, more common than hay fever, and it poses a significant threat to our children’s overall health and well-being.”
Recently, during the celebration of National Children’s Dental Health Month, Colgate and Dr. Carmona unveiled “The U.S. Surgeon General’s Seven Steps to a Bright Smile,” tips that were developed, with a grant from Colgate-Palmolive, to help keep teeth and gums strong and healthy:
1. Brush teeth and gums with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, especially after eating breakfast and before bedtime.
2. Visit the dentist regularly.
3. Floss your teeth daily.
4. Use fluoride rinse for strong, healthy teeth and gums.
5. Limit the number of times you eat snacks each day-and remember to practice healthy eating and get plenty of calcium.
6. Wear a mouthguard when playing sports.
7. Ask your dental professional about dental sealants.
Through its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, Colgate has reached more than 50 million children with free dental screenings, treatment referrals and oral health education. The company is more than halfway to meeting a public commitment it made to reach 100 million children with these services by the year 2010. Bright Smiles, Bright Futures empowers children to take control of their oral health and helps to generate greater awareness about the importance of maintaininThe vitamins and minerals that can affect skin health include the B-complex, especially B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B12 (cyancobalamine). Overt deficiencies of vitamins B1 and B2 are known to cause special forms of dermatitis (a kind of skin inflammation). B12 deficiency is particularly detrimental to neurons and rapidly dividing cells, including skin cells.
Besides the B vitamins, deficiency of vitamin C, iron and copper also affect skin health. All three are important for the synthesis of collagen, a key structural protein in the skin, which fills the skin and gives it ton
Vitamin A is critical for the normal life cycle of skin cells. Vitamin A deficiency causes skin to become dry, fragile and prone to wrinkles. On the other hand, excessive Vitamin A intake may cause serious toxicity and should be avoide
Vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene have been touted as anti-oxidants that reduce free radicals. (Free radicals result in skin degeneration and aging.) However, while free radicals and the role of anti-oxidants are beyond doubt, clinical results have not conclusively proved if supplementary vitamins and other micronutrients improve the skin quality and defy the aging proces
Excessive doses can be just as harmful as deficiencies, so it is best to abide by the recommended daily allowance (RDA
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