Written by: Regina Thomas
Sadly, oral health is something that many people only think about when painful problems arise. From inflamed and receding gums to sensitive teeth and cavities, there are a number of issues that can occur if your oral care is lacking. It’s important to note, however, that the health of your mouth actually plays a critical role in determining both your overall health and your all-around life quality. Read on to find out why your oral health matters.
Smile Aesthetics Are Key In Determining Your Social And Professional Marketability
People with complete, beautiful smiles tend to be far more confident than those with one or more missing teeth. After all, the smile is easily one of the most noticeable features on the face. If you’re missing a front tooth, you’re less likely to be outgoing and proactive in both the social and professional arenas. Given that your smile is among the very first features that people notice upon meeting you, it also determines the type of first impressions that you’re likely to make.
Thus, if you aren’t taking good care of your mouth, you can’t lead the type of dynamic and forward-moving life that you’ve always dreamed of. This is but one of many reasons why taking care of oral health issues is critical. Investing in dental implants in Cary NC, for example, or wherever you live, will restore confidence and give you the ability to make positive first impressions on everyone you encounter.
Chewing And Talking Abilities Decline With Tooth Loss
A lost tooth will do infinitely more than simply diminish your smile aesthetics. Even a single missing tooth can totally disrupt bite forces. Although you’ll still be able to chew many of your favorite fresh and cooked foods, all of the other teeth in your mouth will be absorbing extra force in order to compensate. This leads to more rapid wear on your remaining teeth and ultimately increases the risk of additional tooth loss.
Over time and with multiple teeth missing, you’ll eventually find it more difficult to enjoy red meat, crunchy nuts, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables, and many other forms of nutrient-dense fare. Not only will these changes diminish your mealtime satisfaction, but they’ll gradually lead to problems with nutritional deficiency.
Losing certain teeth can even make it harder to enunciate clearly. In speaking, each of your natural tooth structures plays a vital role in the formation of sounds. If you’ve lost multiple teeth, various options in restorative dentistry will make it significantly easier for you to speak clearly and with greater self-assurance.
Some Oral Health Issues Can Actually Become Systemic
Tooth decay isn’t just a problem for your mouth. If you don’t take fast action to deal with tooth infections, the same bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease can spread to the underlying bones that support your teeth.
Over time, this causes the supporting bone to deteriorate. It can also make it less able to support natural teeth or even tooth implants. Infections that affect the underlying bone can also become systemic by entering the bloodstream. When they do, your body’s continual efforts to fight these infections off can lead to considerable amounts of inflammation and arterial plaque.
All Aspects Of Your Overall Health Can Decline When Your Oral Health Is Suffering
When oral infections are allowed to become systemic, every organ and organ system throughout your entire body can suffer. People with poor oral health have a significantly higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.
They are also prone to respiratory infections given that they’re constantly breathing illness-causing bacteria in. What’s surprising to many is that these same problems can also diminish a person’s reproductive health by increasing the risk infertility and erectile dysfunction among other things.
Many Dental Problems Can Be Passed From One Family Member To Another
Lacking confidence and fresh breath, many people with failing oral health are less than eager to engage in intimate acts like kissing. Even if you aren’t regularly smooching your loved ones, however, they’re still at risk of inheriting your dental problems. The very same germs that are allowed to proliferate in an unhealthy mouth can be passed from person to person via shared foods, shared cooking and eating utensils, and shared drinking glasses and straws among other items.
Even placing your toothbrush in the same cup as your spouse or children can expose them to disease-causing bacteria. Thus, if you aren’t motivated to consult with a dentist for yourself, you should take action to protect the oral health of those around you.
Taking good care of your mouth can improve your overall well-being. When your smile is complete and healthy, your confidence will soar and your marketability will rise. Best of all, even if you’re already dealing with severe and progressive oral health issues, there’s always a number of restorative treatments for eliminating infection, reversing gum disease, and addressing tooth decay and tooth loss.
