Dr. Yao-Hui Huang: " Oral health is a key indicator of overall health. "

黃耀慧博士：“口腔健康是整體健康的關鍵指標。

According to a survey conducted abroad in 2021, during the epidemic, due to the lockdown of cities and restrictions on wearing masks, the public's attention to oral hygiene has dropped significantly. About 25% of children do not brush their teeth twice a day.

With the upcoming "World Oral Health Day" on March 20, "Extra Oral Healthcare Program" and Dr. Yao-Hui Huang, Vice President of The Association of Family Dentistry, calls on the public to pay more attention to oral health and take proper care of your mouth in order to help maintain physical and mental health.

Earlier this year, the Oral Health Questionnaire of Taiwan's Young Generations launched by "Extra Oral Healthcare Program" also revealed the oral health status of Taiwanese young people aged 18 to 30. According to the survey, 65% of young people have experienced tooth pain, bleeding gums, or tooth sensitivity in the past 2 years; however, 30% of them are not in the habit of getting regular oral examinations, and they still ignore the symptoms.

Over the long term, they most likely have to spend more money and time seeking medical treatment. In addition to uncomfortable oral problems, the survey also found that almost one in two young adults is suffering from bad breath. More than half of young people (57%) believe that this difficult social problem affects their self-confidence, and many people (51.7%) say that interpersonal interactions in the workplace also can be quite embarrassing. According to the survey, young people with bad breath problems will seek to improve them by increasing the number of times they brush their teeth (56.2%), using fluoride mouthwash (49%) and chewing sugar-free gum (44%).

Dr. Yao-Hui Huang reminded everyone that the causes of bad breath are complex. The first step is to seek a professional diagnosis from a dentist to determine whether it is caused by oral diseases, and then continue to improve the bad breath by brushing teeth, using fluoride mouthwash or chewing sugar-free chewing gum.

The theme of this year's World Oral Health Day is "BE PROUD OF YOUR MOUTH". Dr. Yao-Hui Huang also emphasized that oral health is closely related to overall health. According to many foreign medical research reports, periodontal disease has a two-way relationship with many chronic diseases: diabetic patients with severe periodontal disease have 3 times higher the risk of death due to heart and kidney disease than diabetic patients without severeperiodontal disease; patients with severe dental caries also suffer from coronary heart disease 1.13 times higher than the general population. The age structure of the elderly population in Taiwan is rapidly aging. In 2021, the super-aged (over 85 years old) population will account for 10.5% of the elderly population. Dementia, which has a high prevalence in the elderly population, is also bidirectionally related to periodontal disease. People with periodontal disease are 1.17 times more likely to suffer from dementia than the general population, and those with dementia are 1.69 times more likely to suffer from periodontal disease.

Various data point out that oral health is one of the necessary conditions for maintaining general health, but only 16% of the young generation in Taiwan realize that oral health can reduce the incidence of many systemic diseases. The key message: "Maintaining good oral hygiene habits can ensure overall health", it is necessary to strengthen the awareness of the importance of oral health on physical and mental health among fellow countrymen.


The latest evidence-based medical literature research at King's College London:


Chewing sugar-free gum can effectively reduce the incidence of tooth decay by 28%.
Chewing sugar-free gum can effectively control the number of cariogenic bacteria.


According to the empirical medical literature published in the British Biomedical Center Oral Health Journal (BMC Oral Health) in April 2021, chewing sugar-free chewing gum can effectively control the number of cariogenic bacteria (mutant Streptococcus) in the oral cavity of adults and children.

The proof that chewing sugar-free chewing gum is effective in reducing the incidence of tooth decay also appears in the empirical medical literature published by King's College London, a top research institution in the UK, and published in the Journal of Dental Research Clinical and Translational in 2020 (JDR Clin Trans Res.), whose research searched for more than 360 related literatures published from 1946 to 2018, conducted a systematic literature review (Systematic Review) and a meta-analysis (Meta-Analysis), examined and compared chewing sugar-free chewing gum and unchewed chewing gum. In adults and children using sugar-free gum, the results show that chewing sugar-free gum can effectively reduce the incidence of tooth decay by 28%, and can be used as an adjunct to preventive oral care.


With the gradual relaxation of the national mask-wearing regulations, Dr. Yao-Hui Huang especially reminded the public that pandemic prevention measures should not be slackened, and oral health care should not be compromised. Everyone should implement the "Healthy mouth routine" to maintain proper oral health habits.


Remember the four-point formula of 1. Check-up, 2. brush, 3. Floss, 4. chew, including:


Visit your dentist regularly.
Brush your teeth twice a day
Floss everyday
Chew sugar-free gum or use fluoride mouthwash after eating or drinking when “on-the-go“. By persistently cleaning and maintaining the oral cavity in the correct way, not only can you show a confident smile when you take off your mask, you can be proud of your oral health, but you can also enjoy a high-quality healthy life!