How Does Dental Health Affect Your Overall Health and Wellness?
Dental health often takes the backseat in our perception and maintenance of overall health. Because dental hygiene only takes a few minutes of our time each day, we often just do this routine subconsciously — brush teeth, floss, pop some breath mints, and we’re good to go.
But do you know there’s more to dental health than cleaning your teeth and hoping you won’t suffer from toothaches and cavities? When we consciously work on our dental health, we start realizing that there are different aspects touched by taking care of our teeth, gums, and mouth. (The same realisation also happens when we take our dental health for granted, but we hope you don’t go learning things the hard way!)
If you want to know more about how your dental health synergises with your overall health and wellness, here’s some of the ways that it surprisingly does:
1. Dental Health – it detects illnesses and diseases early on.
A huge part of dental hygiene is having regular visits to your dentist. Aside from taking a look at your teeth, a dentist can also detect early signs of systemic diseases that are linked to your mouth. For example, gum disease is highly correlated with heart problems, diabetes, kidney diseases, and certain kinds of cancer.
Although the findings of a dentist are not conclusive when it comes to systemic diseases and illnesses, they can give you awareness of possible threats to your body. Dentists may even provide referrals to specialists who can help you determine the best course of action in taking care of your overall health.
2. Dental Health boosts confidence and self-esteem.
Good oral care does not only affect your physical well-being but also impacts your emotional and mental health. If you have crooked or stained teeth and bad breath to boot, will you be able to confidently smile and talk to people?
Having a healthy set of teeth is one of the first steps to take on the world. A full-on smile is among your best assets when facing different situations in life, such as dating, taking interviews, and public speaking. It helps you have deeper and more meaningful conversations with people; you don’t have to shy away from them or keep them at a distance.
That’s why taking care of your teeth doesn’t have to be for cosmetic purposes only. This also helps shape the contours of your wellness and emotional well-being.
3. It is cost-effective and preventive.
Dental health helps you out in the financial aspect as well. If you neglect to properly take care of your teeth, it might come back to you as a nightmare. That’s why you have to remember that not all dental problems appear in the form of toothaches — some remain hidden until it’s too late.
When you go to your dentist for regular check ups, they can do preventive measures to ensure the health of your teeth and gums. For example, teeth fillings can prevent your cavities from getting worse so that you won’t have to undergo major surgeries in the future. A small cavity, when left unchecked and untreated, can even be the cause of major root canal procedures.
When it comes to dental health, always be reminded that prevention is better, and ultimately cheaper, than cure.
4. Good dental health helps with positive first impressions.
When you meet someone for the first time, what do you tend to notice first? Most people unconsciously put more focus on the face, especially the mouth, because it tells a lot about the person even at first glance.
When you have a healthy set of teeth, people will make positive judgments about you, your personality, and your lifestyle. Interviewers and hiring managers make mental notes of your dental aspect, especially if you’re applying for a position that has plenty of client- and customer-facing tasks.
Even in romantic endeavours, your smile is most likely the first one to capture a potential partner’s attention. It reflects your temperament, behaviour, and, yes, your potential as a good kisser!
So, when you’re going out on a first encounter, a toothbrush and dental floss can be your greatest weapons to wield a captivating smile. Also, an unwritten rule of thumb is to brush your teeth whenever you’re going out of the house, even if it’s just to do a quick grocery run. You don’t know who you’re going to bump into!
5. It leads to deeper awareness and knowledge about your body.
When you exert a conscious effort in maintaining your dental health, you also gain more awareness about your body as a whole. You get to learn how to properly brush your teeth, how often you should floss, and what kinds of food you should avoid to prevent stains.
For example, coffee, soda, and cigarettes are some of the most notorious sources of tooth stains, which coincidentally are also bad for your health, especially in excessive amounts. Most of the types of food that your dentist says you should avoid are also the same types that pose health risks to your body.
Your dentist is also a great source of information on dental health. They debunk misinformation that abound when it comes to taking care of your teeth and gums. They also give educated and professional recommendations on cosmetic dentistry so your teeth will be in top shape every time.
There are people who think going to the dentist is just a hassle, but it actually prevents you from experiencing bigger hassles in the future by keeping your dental health a priority.
When you realize the connection between dental health and overall well-being, you begin to consciously make informed decisions about the things that will help you achieve a healthy body, at our dental practice our team of Fulham dentists strive to educate all of our patients about the importance of good dental health.
And when you know that dental health is not just for aesthetic purposes, you’re already on your way to giving more priority to oral hygiene. Your mouth is deeply intertwined with different internal body parts and bodily processes, so keep in mind that having a healthy mouth, teeth, and gums should be a constant daily effort to maintain.