Oral hygiene is important to your overall health. Taking care of your teeth and gums will not only give you a pretty smile but can also impact your self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, poor oral hygiene can have negative impacts on your health and well-being. Here are five benefits to maintaining good oral hygiene.
#1: Good oral hygiene reduces your risk of cavities
Taking good care of your teeth has many benefits, the most obvious being that it decreases your risk of cavities. So how do you maintain good oral hygiene? The answer is simple:
- Brush and floss daily (using an antimicrobial mouthwash can help reduce bacteria in your mouth as well);
- Visit your dentist for regular cleaning twice a year;
- Eat a nutritious diet including foods that are good for your teeth, such as dairy, leafy greens, strawberries, apples and pears.
#2: Good oral hygiene to reduce the risk of gum disease
Good oral hygiene can also help prevent gum disease. Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums, which can affect the bone supporting the teeth. Plaque build-up can harden on the teeth and cause tartar, which can then infect the gums. Regular brushing and flossing will help eliminate plaque build-up. Additionally, smoking can dramatically increase your risk of gum disease. If gum disease is not treated it can have serious consequences, including:
- Loss of teeth;
- Higher risk of more serious diseases such as respiratory disease;
- The bacteria in plaque can also infect the lungs or aggravate pre-existing lung conditions.
#3: Good oral hygiene can help reduce your risk of other serious diseases
Recent studies have shown that people suffering from diabetes are more prone to gum disease. If you are diabetic, it is especially important to take good care of your teeth and gums. Furthermore, poor oral health has been linked to respiratory diseases, especially among the elderly. Additionally, ongoing research points to possible links between oral health and other systemic diseases. These include heart disease and premature, low birth weight babies. As such, if you are pregnant brush and floss regularly, and eat well.
#4: Good oral hygiene can help reduce your risk of oral cancer
Oral cancer is the abnormal growth and spread of cells in the mouth or oral cavity. In Canada, an estimated 3,400 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every year. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer. There are also different preventive measures you can take to help reduce your risk of oral cancer. These include:
- Quitting smoking;
- Reducing alcohol consumption;
- Protecting your lips from the sun with sunscreen;
- Using a condom to prevent HPV infection;
- Eating healthy;
- And finally, brushing and flossing teeth daily to prevent oral infections.
#5: Good oral hygiene boosts your self-esteem and mental health
How we perceive ourselves is important to our overall sense of confidence. Your smile can be one of your best assets. However, a missing or cracked tooth, stained, crooked teeth and so on can make you feel self-conscious. Often, people who are self-conscious about their teeth will hide their smile. It is a shame, because many of these things can be fixed with a visit to your dentist. Nowadays, replacing a tooth or providing whitening treatments is quite straightforward. So, stop hiding that beautiful smile and take charge of your oral health today.
Oral health is linked to our overall health and well-being. It is important to take care of teeth and gums properly and to visit a dentist twice a year. Make an appointment today at the Clinique dentaire Fortin Poirier.