Oral And Dental Health

What Ways Can We Protect Oral And Dental Health?

Oral and dental health is extremely important for the digestive system to remain healthy. Foods eaten must be chewed sufficiently and properly before entering the stomach. When proper oral and dental health is not taken care of, it can make room for further problems. This includes examples like, pain and sensitivity due to cavities, and the inability to fully chew due as a result of missing teeth. The biggest advantage of maintaining oral and dental health is to prevent the many problems that may occur in the future. Maintaining oral and dental health is especially important for children and teenagers, as many problems arise with advancing age. One of these problems is tooth loss. By paying attention to the importance of oral care, reduces and delays the possibility of encountering such problems

Why Is It Important To Protect Oral And Dental Health?

Firstly, it helps to block diseases. Diseases that may occur due to lack of hygiene are prevented. Oral care is also important for aesthetic purposes, as it helps to achieve a beautiful appearance. 

If oral care is neglected or not maintained regularly, individuals risk the occurrence of problems such as cavities, gum problems and even tooth loss. And if left untreated, the problems can progress and cause bigger complications, which in time will negatively impact the individuals quality of life.

The digestive process starts in the mouth and the role of teeth play a very important role in the process. With healthy teeth, when food is chewed, it is thoroughly broken down and delivered to the stomach. However, in cases such as tooth loss, cavities or gum problems, the chewing process is affected as food is not broken down adequately and as it should be. In some cases, patients are not able to even eat solid foods. This negatively affects digestion and the body cannot get enough of the nutrients it needs. Furthermore, procedures to treat and correct these issues are not only expensive but also painful.

Tooth decays should be treated early without delay, to prevent future problems from progressing. Poor oral hygiene can lead to gum problems. If gum problems are recognized and treated early, dental health can be regained a lot easier and quicker. If it progresses, however, infections may develop. 

If the infection spreads to the jawbone, it leads to bone resorption which is the melting of the bone. An infection in the mouth can also affect other organs including the heart, joints, kidneys and many other structures.

How To Maintain Oral And Dental Health?

The importance of oral and dental health is known, but how to actually maintain a routine is not known by all. Maintaining oral and dental health is quite easy by paying attention to a few points as follows; 

Tooth decays generally occur within months, to prevent tooth decay, they must be treated early, therefore visiting your dentist twice a year for general checkups is very beneficial. 

Supplements like vitamins and minerals taken during early age in childhood are also very important. Calcium, phosphorus, fluorine minerals and vitamins C, A and D should be taken in sufficient amounts. Dairy products and fruit can be consumed to get these nutrients.

It’s also advised to choose solid foods over soft foods as consuming solid foods helps to sweep food and debris from the teeth. Eating too much soft foods is not good for dental health. 

Hard foods increase saliva secretion and reduce the bacteria on the teeth.

Sweets and sugar are very harmful for teeth. Eating sweet foods should be avoided as much as possible. After consuming sweets, it’s advised to rinse the mouth with plenty of water. Likewise, acidic drinks such as cola and soda are not good for dental health. Avoiding these foods and drinks are among the ways to protect oral and dental health.

• Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day. While brushing, it’s important not to press too hard on the teeth. Brushing the teeth correctly for at least 2 minutes is advised.
• Dental floss should be used after brushing to remove food residues left between the teeth. Although most people don’t use floss, flossing plays an important role in maintaining oral hygiene. 
• Avoid smoking and alcohol as both are harmful for general health as well as oral health.
• Avoid breaking hard shelled foods with teeth.
• Avoid foods and drinks that are too hot or too cold for teeth as it is not healthy for teeth.
• Sleeping with the mouth open is a harmful habit for oral health. If there is a condition that causes an open mouth when sleeping, it should be looked into and treated.

It is important to pay attention to all these factors to protect your oral health.

What Are The Causes Of Oral And Dental Diseases?

Among many causes of oral and dental diseases, not giving enough importance to oral hygiene is the main cause. However, the reasons are not limited to this. Some diseases in the body can also lead to the development of diseases. Diabetes, stress, hormonal drugs and vitamin deficiencies can also be among the causes.

To alleviate the consequences of all these causes, individuals should not neglect regular doctor visits. The checkups help to recognise problems in the teeth early so it can be solved easier.

Advantages Of Maintaining Oral Health

The biggest advantage of maintaining oral and dental health is to have a beautiful smile. Smoking, excessive consumption of tea and coffee cause teeth to yellow over time. Teeth also yellow when general oral hygiene is not given enough importance. Cavities and even tooth loss can also be a result of poor oral health. All these factors negatively affect the appearance of the teeth and smile.

Furthermore, maintaining oral health is a precursor to having a healthy body. Infections that occur in the mouth may also affect all other organs. Therefore, oral hygiene should be given utmost importance to protect against problems as such.