Blog Posts
Winter nose & lip care
Reindeers are not the only creatures with red noses in winter. People with colds, flu and allergies often experience a chapped nose or lips from constant nose-blowing. Here’s practical advice from our oral care advisor, Dirna Grobbelaar, to help you prevent chafing and protect your skin this winter. When you frequently blow your nose, the delicate skin around the nose and lips becomes dry and irritated. Small, almost invisible, cracks are formed and these are exacerbated with every wipe. Over time the skin can become inflamed and chapped or chafed. Start by giving the skin some extra protection immediately, using a barrier cream, moisturiser, petroleum jelly, or a product specifically created to repair the delicate skin such as Letibalm, the only balm specially formulated for the nose, lips and skin in-between. It forms a protective layer on the skin. When you blow, use extra soft tissues or toilet paper….
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Understanding the Mouth and Body Connection
Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health A healthy mouth and a healthy body go hand in hand and this is the key message behind this year’s World Oral Health Day theme ‘Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health’. Oral diseases affect 3.9 billion people around the world and untreated tooth decay touches 44% of people globally – almost half the world’s population. Understanding the mouth and body connection can help prevent you and your family from being added to these staggering numbers. It is said the ‘mouth is a mirror to your body’. A look into the mouth can reveal nutritional deficiencies, diseases and unhealthy habits, like smoking. A healthy mouth allows you to speak, smile, eat and drink with confidence, can boost social interaction and self-esteem. An unhealthy mouth can cause discomfort, disease, lost school or work days and lead to social isolation and low self-confidence. …
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Saving kids’ teeth
The Dental Wellness Trust Up to 80% of children in South Africa have tooth decay before the age of six, which is perhaps not surprising with the combination of extremely high sugar consumption and limited access to dental care. Many people do not have basic oral care tools; it’s not unheard of for a whole family to share one toothbrush. The Dental Wellness Trust Foundation is on a mission to improve oral health around the world. The registered charity is based in London, but making a difference in South Africa, the UK and other countries. Dentist Dr Linda Greenwall, who is originally from South Africa, founded the dynamic non-profit organisation in 2011, to provide innovative oral health education programmes and treatment for children and vulnerable adults. “We believe everyone has the right to access oral healthcare, and enjoy a life of dignity, free from pain,” she says….
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Cleaning the tongue – a dummies guide
For fresh breath and a healthy mouth dental professionals recommend cleaning the tongue every day as part of an effective oral hygiene routine. Here’s how to clean the tongue in 7 simple steps: Ideally, use a tool specially designed for cleaning the tongue like the Sunstar GUM Tongue Cleaner. If you don’t have one, use your toothbrush or a metal teaspoon turned upside down. Clean your tongue each time you brush your teeth (twice a day), especially if you smoke or suffer from post-nasal drip. Gently scrape from as far back as you can without gagging, to the front of the tongue. Breathing out as your clean the back of the tongue helps prevent gagging. Rinse the tool between each swipe. Gargle with water or an alcohol-free mouthwash. Clean the tongue before or after brushing and flossing – whichever you prefer. Cleaning the tongue at night can help prevent ‘morning…
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Treat your tongue to a #FreshBreathFix
Rather than getting in a twist about smelly breath, treat your tongue to a fresh breath fix. For when it comes to bad breath, experts agree that the tongue is often the culprit. “We recommend tongue scraping as part of a regular oral care routine,” says Stella Lamprecht, President of the Oral Hygienists’ Association of South Africa. “The surface of the tongue has tiny grooves where bacteria and plaque can accumulate. Removing the bacteria and debris on the tongue is one of the simplest ways to ensure fresh breath and a healthy mouth. Everyone, from children to older people, should incorporate it into their oral care on a daily basis. Cleaning the tongue at night can help prevent ‘morning’ breath.” “Ideally use a tool specially designed for the job like the Sunstar GUM Tongue Cleaner,” says Dirna Grobbelaar, Ivohealth’s oral hygiene advisor. “Alternatively, use your toothbrush or a…
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The quest for fresh breath February’s #FreshBreathQuest
How fresh is your oral care knowledge? Take Sunstar GUM’s #FreshBreathQuest this February to find out. There are awesome prizes worth over R15, 000 up for grabs! For every person that completes the quest, Sunstar GUM will donate a toothbrush to Operation Smile South Africa. The main prize, valued at R10, 000, includes a Tsogo Sun family mini-break (worth up R7, 000) and an oral care kit worth over R3, 000, containing a Philips Sonicare powerbrush, a rechargeable Panasonic Oral Irrigator and Sunstar GUM products. There are also 10 Sunstar GUM fresh breath kits to win (worth R539 each), packed with innovative Sunstar GUM oral care products for fresh breath and a healthy smile. To enter, go to www.ivohealth.co.za/freshbreathquest before 28 February 2017. Terms and conditions apply.
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