It is pretty standard that nearly everyone hates going to the dentist. It can be a little off putting and a little scary when there is someone in a mask digging around teeth with miniature metal ice picks. But did you know that your oral health is linked to the health of the rest of your body? Did you know that good oral health can help you with eating and speaking and that those bi-annual dentist visits are actually saving you money in the long run? Going to the dentist may be a little frightening, but the possible outcomes of neglecting your oral health is the real nightmare.
Your Mouth and Your Body
Your mouth is a main entryway into your body. When you take care of your oral health, you are cutting down on bacteria that can get in via that route. You may have heard your dentist or toothpaste advertisements talking about a little something called gingivitis for example. Gingivitis is a gum disease that is easily preventable but can cause swollen and bleeding gums if left untreated. The terrifying part? That bacteria that causes gingivitis can creep into your bloodstream (see bleeding gums) and make you horribly ill. It is easy to forget that all of our body’s systems and parts are all interconnected, so taking care of one bit, like our mouths and teeth, is helping to take care of the whole.
Will Floss for Food
How can oral health care help you eat? Do we not just eat fine on our own no matter what? No! Taking care of our teeth by brushing, flossing, and settling into that dentist’s chair twice a year helps keep disease, cavities, and tooth sensitivity at bay. When we have tooth sensitivity, it makes things touching our teeth absolute agony. Having cavities creates sensitivity as well, but with the addition of the tooth literally rotting away. When disease strikes or cavities degrade a tooth enough, those teeth have to be removed. Not only are missing teeth unsightly, but those holes can make eating a chore. Keeping your whole set of chompers means enjoying more meals in the future.
Free Speech Therapy
Alongside making eating difficult, having teeth missing or overly sensitive teeth can cause changes in speech patterns. This is because your tongue will shy away from any part of your mouth that hurts, or there may not be a tooth to hit on for certain speech sounds. Say the word “tooth” aloud. To make those sounds, your tongue has to hit your front teeth. You do not want to risk missing those!
Saving Green
While the dentist may seem expensive for a little check up and cleaning, the real dental expenses occur when things go wrong. Getting cavities filled, teeth pulled, or, dare I say, needing a root canal are where there comes a definite demand for green. Not to mention the pain and the hours spent with a numb mouth and face. Visiting your dentist regularly and taking care of your oral health prevents the need for any future drastic measures.
Living in the greater Toronto area and need a dentist in Aurora? Look no further than Yazdani Dental.