Being healthy isn’t a goal; it’s a lifestyle. It’s a journey without an end, but rather a scenic route where you feel healthier, happier and enjoy your time for longer. Everyone knows how important it is to be healthy, but when it comes to building up a healthy lifestyle and healthy habits, dental health often falls through the cracks.
If the most you’re doing for your smile is a cursory brushing once per day, then it’s time to rethink your approach. You are doing the absolute bare minimum for your health and even your confidence.
Health Complications from Poor Dental Hygiene
If you don’t care for your teeth and gums properly through a dedicated routine that involves brushing your teeth multiple times per day and being aware of the enamel-eating foods you may be consuming throughout the day, then you could face several problems in the future.
The least of your worries is actually the staining. So long as the stain remains on the surface, buffing them out isn’t that much of a challenge. Deeper stains, however, may mean that the enamel has been eaten away, and that is an issue you’ll need to go to the dentist for.
It’s when the problem touches the root of your tooth or your gums that issues start to arise.
· Tooth Decay
Tooth decay starts with a cavity and gets worse from there. If left untreated, that tooth decay could spread right to the root, at which point there’s not a lot of hope in saving it. This is how people lose their teeth most commonly, other than outside impact force, and is also very easy to avoid with good habits and regular check-ins with a health professional.
· Gum Disease
Gum disease, caused by gingivitis, can result in what’s known as periodontitis. This condition essentially means the infection has spread to the pockets in your gums. If left untreated, this infection typically leads to bone and tissue damage. Untreated infections can also lead to abscesses, which essentially mean a pocket of pus fills up. In absolute extremes, that infection can even lead to sepsis, though the pain would be so intense you’d have gone to the hospital long before you reach this point.
· Receding Gums
Receding gums is another type of gum disease that causes your gums to, you guessed it, recede. It’s more common in those over the age of 65. Several factors, including periodontal disease, tartar buildup, abnormal teeth alignment, gum trauma, and smoking, cause it. Even having a tongue or lip piercing can make you more susceptible. While not life-threatening, this issue can result in your teeth loosening and even falling out.
Everyday Routine Changes to Make for Your Teeth
Good dental health starts at home. You need to care for your teeth regularly, several times a day, in order to maintain a winning smile without any additional cosmetic or dental procedures. While you can absolutely get a healthy-looking smile again after the fact, thanks to the power of implants, veneers, and the like, you should always work on adopting these top habits first:
· Brushing Your Teeth Multiple Times Per Day
Ideally, you would brush your teeth after every meal. Most people don’t do this because it would require them to bring their toothbrush along with them. Try to brush your teeth at least twice per day, in the morning and at night, and floss after eating. You can easily keep a roll of floss in your pocket and then go to the bathroom after you eat to remove any food bits that are building up.
· Rinse Your Mouth After Certain Foods
Foods and drink that are acidic can cling to your teeth and eat through your enamel over time. It’s for this reason that someone who drinks cans of coca cola can end up with frontal cavities.
You don’t need to brush your teeth after drinking coca cola or similar drinks. You don’t need to brush your teeth every time you have citrus. Instead, give your mouth a swill of water. You can swallow the water after the fact, making it easy to do wherever, whenever.
Tip: This tip also applies if you vomit. Rather than brush your teeth immediately, rinse your mouth out with water first. For best results, add a tiny bit of baking soda to the water and then use that to rinse your mouth out. Wait to brush your teeth for around 30 minutes. This is because brushing your teeth too early can end up just pushing all the bacteria around.
· Floss, Floss, Floss
Use string floss or a water flosser – in fact, use both. Flossing works to keep food bits out from between your teeth and can help stop issues like plaque buildup and tartar before they even have a chance to get a head start.
Cosmetic Fixes to Help You Love Your Smile Again
Good dental hygiene, however, can’t fix every stain. It can’t change the shape of your tooth. It can’t change the alignment of your tooth. It certainly can’t magically bring back any missing teeth. That’s where cosmetic dentistry comes into play. You can get veneers to give your teeth the ultimate makeover, implants to fill in missing teeth, and whitening to get the shade you want.
Cosmetic fixes are all out there, but keep in mind that for the best, most lasting options, you’re first going to have to be patient. Veneers can do wonders for your teeth, but if those teeth first need to be straightened, then there’s nothing to do but go through that process first.
Ultimately what you get done cosmetically is up to you. Some want that Hollywood smile. Others want to cap that one distraught-looking tooth that didn’t grow the same way as the rest. For some, it’s more practical – it’s far nicer to have an implant, for example, than dentures.
What works for you boils down to your goals and your budget. There are a lot of payment plan options out there to help those on a lower budget afford those big budget costs, as well, to help ease your load and make it easier to get the stunning smile of your dreams.
