Your oral and dental health

Good oral health can have many wonderful, life-changing benefits. From greater self-confidence to better luck in careers and relationships, a healthy smile can truly transform your visual appearance, the positivity of your mind-set, as well as improving the health of not only your mouth but your body too.

At the Oral Health Foundation, we believe everybody deserves a healthy smile and we are determined to help and support everybody to achieve just that.

Below, are just some of the ways you can look after the health of your smile or improve the oral health of family, friends, colleagues, patients and pupils.

Your oral and dental health

Our library of oral health information provides you with everything you need in order to learn more about your oral health. Our advice is split into the following sections:

Prevention and advice

Conditions and diseases

Treatment and procedures

We also have all our information translated into nine world languages, including French, Spanish, German, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Arabic and Chinese Mandarin.

Take a look at our oral health information library

General FAQs

As a key source of information for tens and thousands of people every year, we have a good understanding about what issues are relevant and important to you.

Our frequently asked questions are a list of common enquiries we have about oral health and is made up of advice and tips about caring for your mouth, guidance on dental procedures, paying for dental treatment and regulations.

Read of most frequently asked questions

Health professionals

Throughout this website, there are lots of ways for a variety of people, who are working in health, to participate in our activities and improve the oral health and wellbeing of local communities.

Here, we have information for dental professionals, wider health professionals and pharmacists about their very specific roles within improving oral health. We also have advice for any of these groups looking to make a difference by stepping outside of their healthcare setting.

Information for health professionals

Carers

There may be a number of reasons why family members or patients might require more help to care for the health of their mouth.

Elderly people, those with special needs, physical disabilities and mental illnesses, all face different challenges that mean they might need an extra level of support to achieve a level of wellbeing that we might take for granted.

Advice for carers about oral health of patients and family members

In the workplace

Employers have a duty to ensure they provide a safe and healthy working environment for their staff. The oral health of employees should not be overlooked and could provide an insight into unhealthy cultures developing in a variety of workplaces.

Smoking and alcohol consumption, diet and excessive amount of sugar, are all common occurrences that could have a negative impact on productivity. It is important to know that there are many things you can do to improve the oral health and wellbeing of employees.

Oral health and wellbeing for employers and employees

Latest

“Brush for better health” says charity– Data reveals we are a nation of skippers, plus other brushing habits revealed

30 MAY 2023 - More than half (51%) of UK adults skip toothbrushing once a week, according to new findings from the Oral Health Foundation.
Five conditions that can be affected by poor oral health

23 MAY 2023 - The health of your mouth might be more important than you realise and is linked to a number of other conditions around the whole body, according to the Oral Health Foundation.
Stop smoking and save your health!

Today is World No Tobacco Day, a day that encourages people to look at their smoking habits and try to quit. But why would you want to quit?
Word of Mouth: April 2023

House of Commons NHS dentistry event, dental care for mothers and babies, National Smile Month, and much more are covered in this month's issue of Word of Mouth.

Mouth ulcers

Usually red or yellow in colour, mouth ulcers are painful sores that can appear inside the mouth and also on the outer lips.
What to do following an extraction

General advice about what to do after having teeth taken out. Includes what precautions you should take and things to avoid.
Burning mouth syndrome

Burning Mouth Syndrome can be an extremely uncomfortable condition which can have several potential causes.
How to spot mouth cancer

How much do you know about the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer? By being Mouthaware you can make a difference in the fight against mouth cancer.
Geographic tongue

Geographic tongue is a common condition which can appear on the top and sides of the tongue, and sometimes on the under-surface.
Bridges and partial dentures

These replacement options for missing teeth are often recommended for oral health purposes as well as cosmetic appearance.
What foods and drinks contain acid and why it spells trouble for our oral health

10 JUNE 19 - As part of National Smile Month, the Oral Health Foundation and GSK have come together to discuss the threat acidic foods and drinks pose to our oral health.
Wisdom teeth

The wisdom teeth are the last to appear, right at the back of the mouth, often between 17 and 25 but sometime many years later.
Sugar free chewing gum

Chewing sugar-free gum helps protect your teeth and gums in between meals when it may not be possible to brush with a toothbrush.
“Spit don’t rinse” for better oral health

6 JUNE 2016 - Fitting is largely considered one of the worst habits a person can have yet that’s exactly what one leading health charity is asking all of us to do.