Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you, and a healthy smile will make you feel good and help you look good. A beautiful smile will enhance your overall appearance, and your oral health is directly linked to your overall health, meaning a healthy smile is necessary. You cannot wait to see a dentist if you feel pain or discomfort, and you must attend your regular dental cleanings and examinations twice a year. Additionally, you must brush and floss twice a day, every day. The importance of a healthy smile cannot be denied, and you must schedule dental visits regularly to ensure your teeth and gums are in good shape.
An unhealthy smile will present you with numerous problems and will not only cost you financially but also affect your health and result in problems in different parts of your body. The mouth serves as the primary gateway for what enters your body, and an unhealthy mouth will lead to a variety of health issues you can avoid. Crooked or discoloured teeth, bad breath, and tooth loss are all considered effects of an unhealthy smile, but the problem goes far beyond appearance, and a poor oral hygiene routine can lead to health issues beyond those just in your mouth.
Your Oral Health and Overall Health
Your mouth is full of bacteria, although, for the most part, this is not a bad thing! A healthy mouth needs bacteria to fight off disease-carrying microorganisms that can enter the mouth when you eat, breathe or drink. Not all bacteria in your mouth are beneficial, however. Plaque will form naturally on your teeth when you consume sugar or carbohydrates. If you do not brush and floss daily, certain bacteria will feed on plaque and produce acids that can damage your teeth and lead to tooth decay over time.
This kind of bacteria can lead to a number of oral health issues like gum disease, tooth loss, and tooth decay, and these are issues most people know about. Many people do not know that weak teeth, inflammation, and bleeding gums can create opportunities for other harmful bacteria to enter your bloodstream, which can cause health issues in other parts of your body. If one thing is for sure, oral health is directly linked to a person’s overall health, and you need to maintain a proper oral hygiene routine to prevent health issues and a visually unappealing smile.
Oral health is linked to several health issues, including:
Heart Disease
Bacteria can enter through your mouth and make their way directly to the heart, which can cause cardiovascular problems.
Stroke
Bacteria can cause inflammation in your arteries and lead to a stroke.
Lung Disease
The mouth is connected to your respiratory system, which makes it easy for bacteria to enter the lungs and worsen health conditions like pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Bacteria may increase the pain caused by this inflammatory disease, although more research is being conducted.
Now that you know a little more about how your oral health can affect your overall health, it’s equally important to consider the opposite because some health conditions can make it harder for patients to maintain a healthy smile. These conditions include:
Diabetes
Those with diabetes are far more likely to develop gum disease and are also more likely to have severe forms of the disease, like periodontitis.
Pregnancy
Women experience a rush of hormones during pregnancy which can exaggerate existing oral health problems.
What exactly will an unhealthy smile cost you? Both time and money.
There is a clear connection between your oral and overall health; you cannot ignore this information. You must protect both, and the following steps will help you maintain a healthy smile:
Brush Your Teeth Every Day
Dentists recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day to successfully eliminate most of the plaque that builds up on your teeth throughout the day and during the night. When brushing your teeth, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and place it at the right angle. There is a correct technique, and brushing improperly is the same as not brushing at all, so you must complete this step properly.
Floss Every Day
Flossing is just as important as brushing, and you can only maintain a healthy smile when you brush and floss. Many people are guilty of flossing here and there because they think brushing is enough, but this is very problematic as flossing is equally as important. Brushing your teeth will eliminate most of the plaque but not all of it because there are hard-to-reach areas in the mouth, and your toothbrush may not be able to access every section. This will allow plaque to fester and turn into tartar, which is much harder to remove. Flossing will reach these challenging spots and will eliminate more plaque.
Schedule Dental Appointments Every Six Months
Contact family dentistry to schedule appointments for every member of your family. You must visit a dentist twice a year for professional cleanings and examinations. Brushing and flossing are extremely important, but you cannot skip your dental appointments, no matter how rigorously you follow your oral hygiene routine. Only professional teeth cleaning can completely remove tartar from your teeth, and most dentists recommend a visit every six months. Some patients may need to see a dentist more often depending on the condition of their teeth or gums, and a family dentist will discuss this information after assessing your mouth.
In addition to having your teeth professionally cleaned, biannual appointments will also give the dentist a chance to assess your mouth and examine your teeth for any signs that may be concerning. They can detect issues you cannot see and treat patients while the problem is still minor. Early detection is key, and a dentist can easily deal with problems while still in the early stages. Failure to attend dental appointments can result in painful problems, and minor issues can quickly become serious. This would require extensive treatment and maybe even oral surgery, which can be both painful and costly.
Regular dental checkups can prevent oral problems, and a dentist will look for signs in your mouth of health issues occurring in other parts of your body. Avoiding the dentist can come at a price, but this is preventable if you visit your dentist regularly and follow a strict oral hygiene routine.
Importance of a Healthy Smile
Good oral hygiene will help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, and you will maintain a healthy smile you’ll want to show off. In addition to an attractive smile, proper oral hygiene will help prevent tooth decay and gum disease and help against medical conditions like heart attacks, strokes, and pre-term births. These are serious issues a healthy smile can help avoid, and you can protect your overall health when you take good care of your oral health.
Avoiding your dentist will not only lead to an unattractive smile, but it can also land you in your doctor’s office. Plaque will accumulate fast both on your teeth and along your gum line, which can cause gingivitis. Left untreated can lead to serious gum disease and tooth decay. Patients with gum disease will be at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke, and you can face several health issues you can prevent. A proper oral hygiene routine and regular dental visits can prevent costly dental procedures and gum surgery because it will keep tooth decay, sensitive gums, cavities, gum disease, and gingivitis away.
Good oral hygiene will help prevent medical conditions and inflammation in your body, and you will enjoy your healthy smile for many years to come.
Conclusion
Don’t want to pay the price of an unhealthy smile? Contact Appleby Dental to schedule an appointment! Our family dentistry always accepts new patients, and we will help prevent unhealthy smiles. We will discuss your oral hygiene routine and provide professional advice regarding the steps you are taking to help improve your smile. We educate our patients about the importance of a healthy smile and will discuss your routine to ensure you are brushing and flossing properly.
We care about our patients and will examine your teeth and gums thoroughly to ensure there are no signs that may be concerning. If we detect any issues, we will discuss them immediately and present you with dental treatment options suitable for your smile. If you want to schedule routine cleanings, discuss cosmetic dentistry procedures or learn about extensive dental restorations, we do it all and are always available to answer your questions.
We understand that every patient has unique concerns regarding their smile, and you can contact our family dentistry at any time to schedule a consultation!