Reasons Why You Should See A Dentist
posted: Jan. 18, 2019.
Dental care and dental insurance are often viewed as an “extra” or a luxury. But your mouth is part of your body, so oral health is important to your overall health.
Poor oral health can have negative effects on your quality of life and on how long you will live. Consider this:
- Dental disease may cause missed school and poor academic performance, particularly for urgent dental problems. Children who had toothaches in the previous 6 months were more likely to have a below-average GPA.
- Parents miss work if they have to take their children or themselves to the dentist for urgent dental problems.
- In kids who reported being bullied, teeth were listed as one of the physical features that was targeted by bullies. This included spaces between teeth, missing teeth, tooth color, tooth shape, and “buckteeth” or prominent anterior teeth.
- Statistics show that children from low income families have more cavities and more toothaches than children in other income levels. Those who are covered by Medicaid or who are uninsured are less likely to visit a dentist than those with insurance.
- Adults who cannot chew their food often switch to a soft food diet. This diet increases the chance of cavities and may also be lacking in needed nutrition.
- Tooth loss is being linked to a higher chance of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The recommendation is to see a dentist two times a year at six month intervals for a check up and cleaning. Some adults with gum disease may need to see the dentist more frequently.
Your mouth may show signs of some body diseases earlier than other parts of your body. Your dentist may notice these signs and advise you to talk to your physician.
Note: Information in this article is not meant to replace the clinical judgement of your healthcare professionals.
Dr. Jennifer Robb is a general dentist with an office at 1612 Cooper Foster Park Rd., Lorain, OH 44053. Call 440-960-1940 to make an appointment. She is taking new patients and would love to meet you.