Hydration is the key to feeling good, looking great and having a healthy mouth.

When you drink heaps of water every day, you provide the saliva glands with the raw material to make plenty of saliva.

Saliva is nature’s mouth moisturiser which flushes food particles, buffers acids and delivers minerals to the teeth.

In the hot tropical summer it’s easy to lose more water than you drink through exercise, lifestyle, diet and outdoor work.

So the question is… are you drinking enough water?

Every time we eat or drink, we are either fighting disease or feeding it.

Sounds crazy but every meal, snack or drink gives us the opportunity to strengthen tooth enamel and guard against periodontal (gum) disease or contribute to dental diseases.

Choosing fresh foods over fast foods gives us loads of healthy nutrients and little in the way of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and calories.

At the same time we’re boosting the body’s immune system to fend off nasty illnesses.

And that’ll help us to make the most of the holiday season and the New Year!

…and hello to you?

Tessa is leaving Townsville, so we are looking for a full time Oral Health Therapist to join our modern locally owned independent dental practice.

We offer a fun work environment in a great facility with a highly professional team – who share an interest in a wide variety of general dentistry including TMD, orthodontics, cosmetics and children.   

If you're looking for a work place where you will learn and develop amongst energetic peers, we are interested in hearing from you.

We are looking for someone who:

• has a dual qualification in Therapy and Hygiene
• ideally has experience
• is keen to learn and grow with the team 
• is highly professional and organised 
• is able to offer the WOW in customer service
• is fun!

Benefits include a four day full time week Monday to Thursday 7.15am - 5.15pm.

Applications close 30 January 2016, for an early 2016 start.

If this sounds like you, apply here.

Here are simple suggestions to protect your smile during the holidays:
• Carry a small travel toothbrush, flosspicks and Listerine Pocketpak Breath Strips
• Brush after meals and rinse after snacks
• Drink heaps of fluoridated tap water to keep the mouth moist
• Chew sugar free gum if you can’t clean
• Eat some cheddar cheese with your drinks to neutralise any wine acids
• Use a nut cracker not your teeth to avoid an inconvenient dental disaster

Touted as the answer for veggie-haters, Cenovis Vitamin Gum is a sugar free gum with small amounts of selected vitamins.

Chewing sugar free gum after meals or when the mouth is dry helps to protect the teeth from tooth decay and prevent bad breath.

If you just want to top up your daily vitamin intake during the holidays and help your mouth, why not try this one. It’s available in pleasant flavours at chemists and supermarkets.

Just keep in mind that nutritionists say that it's not a substitute for a healthy diet.

Dental-theme gifts or vouchers can be the perfect Christmas present for the hard-to-buy-for person.

A gift voucher for a professional whitening treatment may be just the answer.

A quick lunchtime procedure can work wonders for the busy person who wants to look his or her best for the holidays.

For those who want to maintain a beautiful healthy smile, a power toothbrush provides superior plaque and stain removal.

The gift of Sonicare’s Airfloss™ can also be a great device for those who struggle with string floss and love the latest technology.

Sugar in processed foods is behind everything from tooth decay to obesity.

The World Health Organization now recommends that we consume no more than 6 to 9 teaspoons of sugar per day for better health benefits.

To figure out the number of teaspoons in a serving, look at the nutritional information label on the package or tin.

Four grams equals one teaspoon so divide the number of sugar grams per serving by four.

It seems that we’re consuming heaps more sugar than we think.

The ingredients in many common oral products may be downright dangerous for some folks.

According to Australian dental experts, the foaming agent in toothpastes called sodium lauryl sulphate or SLS can irritate the mouth and contribute to mouth ulcers.

Petroleum-based lip products can result in inflammation of the lips and corners of the mouth.

Mouthwashes containing alcohol can dry the mouth which increases the risk of oral diseases.

If you’re troubled by these problems, consider some alternatives to the products that you’re using.

It’s well known that sugary soft drinks cause tooth decay and enamel erosion.
Soft drinks also promote obesity which contributes to chronic illnesses.

Now US researchers are saying that drinking soft drinks may accelerate the ageing of the body and face as much as smoking.

Chromosomes provide a measure of ageing. Thousands of adult DNA samples showed a chromosomal difference in those who drank soft drinks compared with those who didn’t.

Another reason to put soft drinks in the sin bin and drink water.

There’s nothing more unpleasant and dangerous for the teeth than the stomach acid that accompanies morning sickness.

But there’s an easy solution. Baking soda has been the jack of all trades over the years.

Every family has a box of McKenzie’s Bi-Carb Soda which is alkaline.

It’s a quick way to buffer an acidic mouth and prevent enamel loss, sensitivity and yellow teeth.

Put a teaspoon of Bi-Carb in a 250ml water bottle and use after vomiting episodes. Swish the solution around for one minute then spit. Delay brushing for one hour.

It’s a great way to take care of stomach acid attack in the mouth.