Are you a teeth guru? If you’re not — there’s never any better time to start. Your mouth health is just as important as the posture of your back and the clarity of your skin. Some would argue it’s one of the most important, as you need happy teeth and gums to eat, talk and smile your way through the day. When you start feeling aches and pains or you’re worried about how people will look at encroaching yellow stains, it’s time to school yourself on dentistry. Do you see a family dentist or a cosmetic dentist? How often should you even see the dentist?
Let’s get enlightened!
A beautiful and happy smile is widely considered one of the most attractive features a person can have. According to a survey provided by AACD, nearly all adult respondents believe a healthy smile is socially important. Another 95% of adults believed an attractive grin makes a person more appealing to prospective partners. Think that’s the long and short of it?
Think again. Nearly three-quarters of adult respondents surveyed on the social pull of a good smile have also confessed that a poorly-maintained mouth can hurt their career success. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. A nice smile is one of your best first impressions. When it comes to snagging a nice date or getting that job you’ve always wanted? You’ll want to make sure you come out dressed to impress.
What keeps people from having a nice smile, though? Let’s count the ways. Periodontal disease is a common condition that strikes millions of people per year. It increases with age — with 70% of adults over the age of 65 coming down with it — though over 40% of adults over the age of 30 also lay claim to this nasty condition. Fortunately, periodontal disease can be staved off with regular brushing, flossing and trips to your family dentist.
Cavities are another common mouth condition. Studies have shown one in five Americans have one or more untreated cavities. Unfortunately, this high number is also linked with poverty — the poorer you are, the more likely you’ll have one or more conditions that keep your smile from being at its best. Fortunately, more and more low-income dental clinics are cropping up to better meet this demand.
When it comes to losing teeth? Never fret. Dentures and dental implants are resources you can turn to when you lose teeth to an accident, to disease or to age. Over 15% of the edentulous (a fancy term for ‘lacking teeth’) population has dentures created every year and the average family dentist will be knowledgeable enough to steer you in the right direction should you need it.
There are little things you can do to keep your teeth healthy. Not only are cavities and gum diseases like periodontal disease and gingivitis more common among men than women, they also increase exponentially when you smoke, eat a lot of sugar or forget to floss on a regular basis. Brushing is necessary to stimulate blood flow to your gums, while flossing gets rid of hard-to-reach bacteria.
Most of all? Visit your dentist once per year to make sure you’re in the best shape possible to grab your life by the horns. Feel like a guru yet?
Reference links. More research here.