ADA to Australian youth: Keep your bites right

As National Youth Week comes to a close, the Australian Dental Association Inc. (ADA) calls upon Australian youth to keep their bites right.

National Youth Week (NYW), from 5-14 April, is the biggest celebration of young people in Australia. Thousands of young people aged 12-25 from across Australia get involved in NYW each year.

Dr Karin Alexander, President of the ADA, said: "With this year's NYW theme 'Be active, be happy, be you', the ADA urges Australia's young people to be active when it comes to their dental health.

"Do right by your bites. Make sure you keep up with good dental habits such as regular tooth brushing, flossing and a healthy diet. Keep sugary, sport and fizzy drinks to a minimum."

The ADA has conducted a number of oral health campaigns targeted at Australia's young people. The ADA asked Australian teenagers to "Watch Your Mouth" as part of its 2006 Dental Health Week http://www.ada.org.au/dhw/dhw06.aspx. Dental Health Week in 2007 focused on oral health for young adults (18-25 years of age): http://www.ada.org.au/dhw/dhw07.aspx.

Information on oral piercings, dental erosion, and the right nutrition to help fight dental decay are all freely available on the ADA's website.

Young Australians are very high consumers of sugar sweetened beverages, sports drinks and sugar sweetened soft drinks in particular. The 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey found that 47% of children (2-16 years of age) consumed sugar sweetened beverages (including energy drinks) every day.

The ADA is a partner of the "Rethink sugary drink" campaign, with the Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia and the Heart Foundation. More information on the dental and overall health impacts of sugary and fizzy drinks can be found at http://www.rethinksugarydrink.org.au.

"The ADA's message for National Youth Week is: Be active taking care of your bites, your teeth. Remember: if you take care of your teeth, they will take care of your smile."