The benefits of good dentistry extend beyond just your teeth. High-quality dental treatments and diligent at-home care can improve your whole body’s health. Here’s how:
Prevent gum disease with good dental hygiene
Without proper dental hygiene, bacteria in plaque can start building up on your teeth, leading to inflamed gums that bleed easily when you brush or floss. This inflammation (called gingivitis) can typically be reversed by seeing a dentist and following a strict brushing and flossing routine, but if gingivitis isn’t treated, it can turn into periodontitis. Periodontitis is a much more serious infection that damages your gum tissue. In the worst cases, it can even attack your jaw bone and lead to tooth loss.
But gum disease isn't just bad for your mouth; it's also linked to other health conditions in other parts of your body, including:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Pregnancy complications
- Dementia
How to prevent gum disease AND other health conditions through good oral care:
- Brush gently with a professional electric toothbrush for two whole minutes in the morning and at night
- Floss daily
- See your dentist for a cleaning and exam twice a year
- Call your dentist sooner if you start noticing pain, bleeding, or inflammation
Straighten crooked teeth
Misaligned teeth aren’t always a health concern, but they do become a problem when:
- The position of your teeth makes it difficult to clean all their surfaces, putting you at risk for tooth decay and gum disease
- Your teeth don’t align properly when you bite or chew
A misaligned bite can lead to TMJ disorder, which often causes headaches, wear and tear on your mouth, trouble sleeping, and other unpleasant symptoms.
Invisalign or SureSmile is an easy, cosmetically elegant way to straighten your teeth without braces. You simply wear a series of clear, custom-made aligners that you can remove whenever you need to eat, drink, brush, and floss.
Fix missing or damaged teeth
Replacing missing or damaged teeth keeps your mouth healthy and helps prevent costly and sometimes irreversible health consequences. If you don’t address missing teeth, here’s what can happen:
- Your jawbone surrounding the missing teeth starts to dissolve and shrink (a process called resorption)
- Nearby teeth may start to shift and cause bite issues
- Eating and speaking can become more difficult
- The look of your teeth, mouth, and face changes
Even if your teeth aren’t missing but only damaged, you should know that damaged teeth are weaker than healthy teeth. They invite tooth decay and gum disease, as well as further cracks and fractures.
There are many effective tooth restoration options available to restore the look and function of your teeth and prevent all the problems listed above. A dental exam is the best way to determine the best option for you.
Eat a healthy dental diet
In the past, we’ve written about the foods that comprise a healthy diet for your teeth. Fortunately, the foods that are good for our teeth, also tend to be the foods that are good for our whole bodies.
Limiting sugar is the number one dietary recommendation for your teeth. You can also help protect your teeth by limiting highly acidic and starchy foods. Sadly, even Diet Coke and other diet sodas contain ingredients like citric acid, which erodes your enamel and weakens your teeth. Also try to limit the number of times you snack throughout the day, because constant snacking limits your mouth’s ability to clean itself effectively.
What should you eat if you want healthy teeth?
- Whole grains
- Vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, celery, carrots, garlic, and onion
- Mushrooms
- Fruits — especially apples and berries
- Lean protein (like poultry, fish, and legumes)
- Dairy, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
Citrus fruit is an interesting food category that’s not good for your teeth (because of the sugar and acid) but great for your body in other ways. So what should you do if you love citrus fruit? Try pairing these foods with a glass of plain water. That leads us into the next tip!
Drink plenty of water
Water does so many amazing things for our health! Drinking enough water helps our bodies perform essential functions like:
- Temperature control
- Lubricating and cushioning joints
- Protecting the spinal cord and other tissues
- Flushing out waste through urine, sweat, and bowel movements
Water is also great for your teeth! It helps rinse away food residue and dilutes the acid in your mouth, which protects your tooth enamel.
Drinking plenty of water is especially important if you frequently experience dry mouth. Saliva is about 98% water, so staying hydrated helps your body produce enough saliva to clear away food and protect your teeth. Dry mouth also makes your breath smell bad, so drinking water prevents bad breath too!
Cosmetic dentistry is good for your mental well-being
In addition to all the physical ways dentistry and oral care can boost your health, a bright smile has mental and emotional benefits too.
According to a UK study, 70% of people with bad teeth said it had negatively affected their lives, and nearly a third of people said that having bad teeth has made them less confident in public. Not being happy with your teeth can have a real impact on your well-being.
Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how quick and effective cosmetic dentistry can be with the latest technology. There are high-tech, minimally invasive ways to:
- Whiten teeth and correct the appearance of stains
- Restore teeth that are missing, broken, chipped, or worn
- Straighten teeth and remove the appearance of spaces/gaps
- Replace metal fillings with tooth-colored ones
- Correct an uneven gum line
- More
If there’s something about your smile that’s impacting your happiness and quality of life, then it should be treated as a health issue, not merely a cosmetic issue. A treatment that leaves you feeling better and more confident is a worthwhile investment!
How can we help you reach your health goals?
If you’re ready to start bettering your health through dentistry, we’re here to help. At Towson Smile Care, we specialize in high-tech, minimally invasive treatments that allow us to give our patients a great experience with stellar results.
If you live near Towson, MD, take advantage of our new patient special and schedule your appointment today.