Failing to look after your teeth is likely to lead to tooth loss, that’s a simple fact that everyone knows. However, by itself, this isn’t enough to make sure everyone takes the right steps to look after their teeth!
Brushing twice daily, flossing once, and visiting your Invisalign little bay dentist at least once a year is all it takes to look after your teeth for life!
Tooth loss is not the only thing you should be worried about, there are an array of problems that can be caused by bad teeth:
Lack Of Confidence
The Hollywood smile is everywhere and serves to remind ‘common’ people that having perfect teeth is possible. The problem is that if you have bad teeth you’ll be aware of this and are less likely to smile, highlighting your tooth problem.
This will have a knock-on effect on your confidence, leaving you struggling in a variety of situations. This can actually affect your quality of life and lead to depression.
Gum Disease
Perhaps the most obvious issue with bad teeth is that the plaque will build up on your teeth. This will turn to tartar which is very difficult to remove. Tartar that forms at the gumline will act as a shield, allowing the bacteria inside the tartar to attack your soft tissue.
In the first instance, this will cause painful and inflamed gums. However, if left the bacteria will also attack your bone, weakening the tooth and causing tooth loss. The good news is that, in the early stages, gum disease can be easily reversed. You simply need to visit your dentist.
Cardiovascular Issues
Perhaps of greater concern is the link between oral health and cardiovascular disease. Research shows that bacteria in the gum line can easily seep into your bloodstream. There are many blood vessels near the surface in your mouth and gums.
Once the bacteria enter your bloodstream they can cause bacterial infections, which are known to affect the valves on your heart. It can also aid plaque buildup in your arteries, increasing the likelihood of strokes, heart attacks, and an array of other cardiovascular issues.
Cancer
Bad oral health has been linked with several cancers, the most obvious one is oral cancer. Although smoking remains the biggest risk fact for oral or lung cancer, bad teeth increase the number of bacteria in the mouth and can increase the likelihood of you developing oral cancer.
The early this is diagnosed the better for long-term survival.
Prevention
Understanding the risks to your overall health means you should be more willing to pay regular visits to your dentist. They are well trained and accustomed to dealing with bad teeth and other issues. More importantly, they will identify the early signs of any issues and treat them with you.
This will reduce the risk of bad teeth affecting your overall health, especially as the dentist will work hard to ensure you don’t have bad teeth any longer.
Posts by SpeakBindas Editorial Team.