A Dubbo dentist is encouraging people to brush up on oral hygiene as a national survey shows concerning trends for tooth care.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Almost two-thirds of respondents in an Australian Dental Association (ADA) survey had not visited a dentist in more than two years, while 16 per cent said they didn’t have time to go to the dentist.
Dr Grace Amey is encouraging good oral health in her home town, where she is practising.
During Dental Health Week, she promoted the ADA’s message of the importance of taking time, no matter how busy life is.
“So essentially it’s all about how looking after your health needs to be a part of your everyday life,” she said.
“And we all lead really busy lives, we’ve got work commitments, kids, pets, sport, all kinds of things.
“But it’s just about taking that one or two minutes a day to be looking after your teeth.”
Dr Amey said good oral health started with the individual. She urged people to prevent problems like decay and holes by brushing and flossing regularly.
Dr Amey’s passion for her work started when as a St John’s College student she also worked part-time as a dental assistant. After completing her studies with Charles Sturt University at Orange, she joined the Wingewarra Dental team.
“I always thought, it was always such a long wait to get into the dentist and people would travel so far, from further west,” she said.
“So I really wanted to come back and give back to Dubbo.
“Dubbo’s been really good to me when I was growing up and it’s now my time to give back.”
Survey results that showed 68 per cent of people said they only visited the dentist when they had specific problems were a “massive concern” to Dr Amey.
“Within two years so much can change with the mouth,” she said.
Avoiding the dentist can lead to high costs for patients in the long run.
“...coming to the dentist once a year for a general check-up and some cleaning, as well as some good oral hygiene advice stops things like holes from coming,” Dr Amey said.
“So what I like to say is coming to the dentist is not expensive, neglect is expensive.”
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
