We all know how important dental health is but sometimes it is a neglected aspect of our health regime with people reporting not visiting a dentist for years on end, this week is Dental Health Week and there has been a focus on young adults. The Australian Dental Association (ADA) has declared 3-9 August as Dental Health Week and wants to make youth aware of key factors in dental health. Figures indicate that 60 per cent of young adults have experienced wisdom tooth-related problems and only 38 per cent of young adults playing contact or high-impact sport wear a mouthguard. Experts are concerned that young Australians who may be transitioning away from family-managed healthcare, may be delaying dental care due to cost pressures, changing access to support, and the challenges of managing their own healthcare for the first time. There is also concern that young Australians are increasingly "falling through the cracks" when it comes to their oral health, with new national research revealing a concerning combination of untreated dental problems, social media-driven cosmetic treatments, and preventable sports injuries among 18-25-year-olds. ADA Vice President, Dr Angie Nilsson, stresses that the 18–25 age group represents a critical but often overlooked stage for oral health. “This is the age when many young people leave school, move out of home, come off their parents’ private health insurance and begin managing their own healthcare for the first time,” Dr Nilsson said. “Unfortunately, many are delaying dental visits until something goes wrong, and by then the problem is often more painful, more complex, and more expensive to treat. "Good oral health habits established in early adulthood can have lifelong benefits, which is why it's so important we don't allow this generation to fall through the cracks. “We’re seeing increased interest in whitening, veneers, direct to consumer aligners and cosmetic trends driven by social media. But dental treatment is healthcare, not fashion. “Poorly informed decisions can permanently impact teeth and gums.” New data released reveals social media has influenced three in five (60 per cent) Australians to pursue cosmetic dental treatment. They also warn about a disturbing trend of risky do-it-yourself (DIY) aesthetic dental trends and social media influencer advice, urging young people to see a professional. The ADA is encouraging young Australians to seek professional dental advice before undergoing cosmetic treatments or purchasing products promoted online. In Temora Dr Christopher Chew from Temora Dental said that the practice is still seeing a good variety of young people. “I am concerned with teeth whitening products that are bought through the influencers, because they haven't been rigorous, rigorously tested, and the ADA has found that with one of the products, the primary ingredient was a citric acid, and it was also flavoured with a sweetener just to make it more palatable,” Dr Chew said. “So, you're literally soaking your teeth in acid, and you're going to end up with decay if you use their products and we’ve seen some damage from that. “Another issue that's becoming more prevalent is vaping. “I've seen very accelerated gum disease in young adults that are probably maybe double or triple what the damage should be. Dr Chew also emphasised the importance of wearing custom mouthguards for contact sports saying that although the upfront cost seems expensive the investment could save thousands of dollars in damage from one knock. “With regards to wisdom teeth pain, if you are having troubles, please see a dentist and bring along a parent, that way you can talk it through and work out a good plan to get you out of trouble.
