End Of Year Benefits | Your teeth, mouth, and gums are both a gateway and mirror of your overall health. Besides problems like tooth decay and gum disease, not taking care of your teeth can cause a number of seemingly unrelated health problems.
Heart Health
You may believe that problems like gum disease do not require prevention and regular treatment, since you would prefer to simply address the problem as it arises. Unfortunately, poor oral health can lead to problems elsewhere in the body before you may detect any problems in your mouth.
The bacteria that cause gum disease don’t always stay put. If they gain entry into your bloodstream, for example, they can travel throughout your body. A high bacterial load generates an immune system response that causes inflammation. Inflammation is a known factor in many disease states, including heart disease.
Other conditions related to poor oral health include:
- Diabetes
- Bad breath
- Pain and inflammation
Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
Some people feel that tooth decay is inevitable. Although most of us will eventually have at least one cavity during the course of our lives, the situation is preventable with proper oral hygiene and regular dental checkups and cleanings.
By preventing tooth decay with End Of Year Benefits, you can avoid the need for unnecessary and costly dental work down the road. Although cavities can be repaired, the treated tooth is never quite the same. Some treatments, like root canal therapy, can significantly weaken a tooth, potentially causing it to fracture.
Gum disease is another aspect of oral health that is important to look for. If your gums frequently bleed, you may be developing periodontal disease, popularly known as gum disease.
Wouldn’t it be easier to simply address the problem now when it is small, or nonexistent, than putting yourself or your child through unnecessary dental treatment?
Protecting Your Oral Health
Everyone knows it, but it bears repeating: Preventing problems caused by poor oral health involves good oral hygiene habits. And the end of year benefits will be self-evident. You need to be brushing your teeth at least twice daily, preferably after every meal. Make sure that you also floss your teeth to remove any food debris trapped between them.
Besides maintaining proper oral hygiene habits at home, it is important to regularly visit your dentist for routine dental exams and cleanings. Dental exams allow your dental team an opportunity to visually inspect your mouth, teeth and gums. That way, we can detect problems before they gain a foothold in your mouth.
Dental exams also are known to catch oral cancer. Although this is a scary disease, it is actually imminently treatable if it is detected in its early stages. So dental exams are not just to keep your teeth shiny and healthy, they can actually save your life.
Schedule Your Next Appointment
Contact Chestnut Hill Dental Associates today! New patients are welcome. Call us at (617) 566-0308 or request an appointment online. We hope to see you soon.
