How you look and feel is more dependent on your oral health than you might anticipate. If you are in constant pain, have disease, decay, or cancer, your entire wellbeing is affected. You could lose teeth, lose the structure of your mouth, feel ill, and suffer from subsequent illnesses as a result of the state of your mouth. Issues like cavities or gum disease might not seem like a big issue, but when you realize the detrimental effects they can have on the rest of your body, you will understand the importance of regular oral health care.
The Statistics Talk
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 92% of adults ages 20 to 64 have dental caries or have had them at least once in their adult life. In addition, according to the CDC, 47% of American adults up to the age of 65 have some form of gum disease, while more than 70 % of Americans over the age of 65 have advanced gum disease. Oral cancer also claims almost 8,000 lives per year.
Preventing Oral Health Issues
The best way to prevent oral health issues is to come in for regular dental appointments. This includes a cleaning, x-rays, and detailed exam. Having this performed every six months will help you to ensure the ability to catch any issues early on and get the appropriate treatment to avoid the problem from getting out of hand. In addition to coming to see us, however, is the need to have proper oral health habits. These habits include:
– Keep your sugar consumption to a minimum. This means reading labels and understanding the foods that you eat to ensure that you are feeding your body the right nutrients.
– Avoid bad lifestyle habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol or soda, as they exacerbate all oral health issues that can occur.
– Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day.
– Drink plenty of water.
– Wear proper oral health protection (mouth guard) when playing sports or if you grind your teeth at night.
These simple tactics will help you to avoid becoming one of the statistics and from having to suffer the negative consequences of not caring for your teeth. When you care for your oral health, you are providing the rest of your body with the ability to remain healthy and stable for many years to come!
