3 Reasons to Take Care of your Teeth Today
While you probably already know that having healthy teeth is important for overall health and wellness, you might not know the specifics. There are several very important reasons that you should take care of your teeth today to have a healthier and happier tomorrow. Here are the top three reasons to take good care of your teeth right now.
People With Healthy Teeth Have Better Overall Health as Seniors and Geriatrics
Recent studies have clearly shown that people who have poor oral health when they’re young and middle-aged are more likely to be frail when they reach senior and geriatric years. A Journal of the American Geriatrics Society study followed more than 1,600 senior and geriatric men. Their problems included total tooth loss, chronic dry mouth, and other serious oral health issues. When these men were analyzed, a link became very clear: They were quite frail or at least subject to great frailty when compared with men who had maintained good oral health in their youth and middle age. For these reasons, the study concluded that the maintenance of oral health is especially important when you’re young and middle-aged. Identifying problems early and treating those issues promptly may very well be a life-saver later.
Periodontal Disease Can Cause Many Health Problems
A number of different health problems are linked to periodontal disease — but the good news is that by taking care of your teeth today you can prevent many of them. Periodontal disease results from bacteria. While your mouth has both good bacteria and bad bacteria, the bad bacteria can quickly outnumber the good bacteria. Soon, the bad bacteria can create deep pockets in the gap between your teeth and your gums. When this happens, you’ll often have inflamed gums, painful gums, or even bleeding when you brush or floss.
When you’ve got significant bacteria in the deep pockets of your mouth, some of the bacteria will work its way into your blood. Soon, the blood delivers this harmful bacteria into many other areas of the body, from your heart to your brain to your lungs and beyond. This bacteria can even make its way to a developing baby.
Although your body will work to fight off the harmful bacteria, it’s not always successful. You can develop many serious health issues including diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, and even cancer. Once you have these types of health problems, it can be extremely difficult to treat them effectively — and some diseases can’t be treated but can only be managed for the rest of your life. It’s far simpler and easier to make the effort to prevent these diseases and illnesses right now by practicing good oral hygiene. If you brush your teeth twice a day (two minutes at a time,) floss thoroughly every night, and visit Artistic Touch Dentistry for check-ups on the recommended schedule, you have the best chance of preventing serious illness.
Take Care of Your Teeth: Immediate Gratification
One of the best things about taking good care of your teeth right now is that you’ll start to see results very quickly. In fact, brushing and flossing your teeth will pay off immediately in the form of fresher breath and a cleaner feeling. When you brush and floss every day, you’ll also help keep the stains at bay — you may start to notice results on this very quickly as well. If you ignore good oral hygiene for a long time, it can be very hard to reverse the yellowing or discoloration of teeth. However, performing good oral care every single day means that you can help avoid the darkening of teeth.
Need Help Caring For Your Teeth Today?
While diligent oral care at home is always important, it’s also important to see your Melbourne Florida dentist for check-ups regularly. We at Artistic Touch Dentistry are glad to help our Melbourne, Florida area patients with general, preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry — contact us anytime for an appointment!