182: The Relaxback UK Show with Mike Dilke - Episode 182182: The Relaxback UK Show with Mike Dilke - Episode 182
UK Health Radio Podcast
Mike Dilk talks with dentist Dr Ben Atkins about the state of oral health in the UK, its links to wider health issues, and simple preventive steps. The conversation touches on inequality, cost worries, fluoride, and why everyday brushing habits matter more than most people realise.
27:26•15 Sept 2026
Is Your Mouth Warning You? UK Oral Health with Dr Ben Atkins
Episode Overview
- Poor oral health is closely linked to conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Dental disease in the UK has improved on average but remains concentrated in poorer postcodes.
- One of the main reasons children are referred to hospital is for tooth extraction due to decay.
- Effective prevention includes brushing twice a day with 1450 ppm fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth, reducing sugar, and regular dental visits.
- Leaving dental problems untreated makes them more complex and more expensive to address later.
“"Oral health is so important because it's a barometer for the body. If you've got really bad oral health, I can kind of guarantee something else is going on."”
In this eye-opening episode, you'll learn about something often overlooked until it hurts: your teeth. The Relaxback UK Show host Mike Dilk chats with dentist Dr Ben Atkins, trustee at The Oral Health Foundation, about how oral health across the UK is really doing and why your mouth might be telling a bigger story about your whole body. Ben explains that oral health impacts far more than just a nice smile.
He talks about evidence linking poor oral health with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and even mentions that mouth bacteria are being found in joints and the brain. As he puts it, "oral health is so important because it's a barometer for the body" – if your mouth is in a bad way, something else may be going wrong too. The conversation doesn't shy away from hard facts.
Mike raises statistics such as 31,000 hospital admissions in a single year for tooth extractions in under-19s, and Ben highlights how dental disease clusters in poorer postcodes, creating "massive hot points of disease" despite national averages improving. They also touch on the sheer anxiety many people feel about dental costs and the difficulty of getting NHS appointments. For anyone feeling guilty about their brushing habits, Ben offers a bit of comfort and a reality check.
He notes that most people know they should brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cut back on sugar, but "knowing and doing is a different beast." He then lays out simple, practical steps: use an adult toothpaste with 1450 ppm fluoride, clean between your teeth in any way that works for you, visit the dentist regularly, and reduce sugar where you can.
There’s even a lively chat about fluoride in drinking water, the economics of sugar, and why leaving dental problems never makes them cheaper. If you’re wondering what your mouth might be saying about your health, this is a smart place to start – are you really giving your teeth the attention they deserve?
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