Five ways to keep your dental care on point this festive season

Dr Siphesihle Mpungose helps to stimulate transformation in his field of dentistry.

The 42-year-old has been practising dentistry since 2004 and did his community service in Newcastle in 2005. Immediately after finishing his community service he went into private practice from 2006 to 2013. At the time he was completing diplomas in implantology, which he is passionate about.

Speaking to TimesLIVE he said in 2014 he became a registrar at the University of the Western Cape and qualified as a specialist periodontist in Jun 2018.

"After I qualified I became a consultant, training undergraduates and postgraduates at the University of the Western Cape. In 2021 I relocated to Gauteng. I am head of the clinical unit in the oral medicine and periodontology department at Wits University, where I mainly train postgraduate students. I am also in private practice as a periodontist," he said.

With spring in full swing and the events of the summer season around the corner, Mpungose shared his top five tips to master oral care for the festive season:

1. Dry mouth is one of the contributing causes of rotting teeth. Stay hydrated by drinking enough water.
2. Reduce or keep to a minimum your sugar intake.
3. There will be increased consumption of alcohol on hotter days. Do not use your teeth to open beer bottles so you do not damage your teeth.
4. Use floss and mouthwash to supplement tooth brushing, especially at night before sleeping.
5. Regular checkups every six months remain extremely important to prevent issues and detect disease early.