May is National Dental Care Month
May is National Dental Care Month! This month serves as a reminder on why caring for our teeth is so important. While dental hygiene is taught at an early age, it quickly becomes just another item on our daily to-do list. However, if you’re just going through the motions of cleaning your teeth, you could be at risk for dental and overall health issues. Even though May is officially National Dental Care Month, it’s critical to maintain a regular oral hygiene routine every month!
Why Caring for Your Smile is Important
National Dental Care Month serves as a good reminder of why you should be caring for your smile. While maintaining dental health is important for keeping your teeth, gums and smile healthy, it can also affect your overall health. The American Dental Association (ADA) explains that your mouth serves as a window to the health of your body. Your mouth can reveal signs of nutritional deficiencies and even general infections. Further, certain systemic diseases that affect the entire body, like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Sjögren’s syndrome, could first be noticed by mouth lesions or other oral health issues.
Our mouths are filled with countless bacteria, some of which are linked to tooth decay and gum disease. Researchers have found that severe gum disease, known as periodontitis, can be linked to other health problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and bacterial pneumonia. Further, pregnant women with periodontitis could be at risk for delivering preterm and/or delivered a baby with a low birth weight.
While more studies are needed, researchers do suspect that bacteria and inflammation in the mouth that is linked to gum disease plays a role in some system diseases and conditions. Alternatively, diseases like diabetes, blood cell disorders, HIV and AIDS can lower your body’s immune system making you more susceptible to severe oral health conditions.
Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene
Your teeth are meant to last you a lifetime. Knowing that, and knowing how your dental health can affect your smile and your overall health, it’s important to maintain good oral hygiene. To keep a healthy smile, the CDC recommends you:
- Brush your teeth twice a day, thoroughly. Use gentle, circular motions and be sure you are cleaning the entire surface of each tooth.
- Floss daily to remove plaque and food that can get lodged between the teeth.
- Add fluoride to your routine; drink fluoridated water and brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste.
- Quit smoking and tobacco use.
- If you have diabetes, work to maintain control over it. This will help lower your risk for gum disease, but treating gum disease can also help lower your blood sugar level.
- When taking medication that causes dry mouth, ask your doctor for different medication options that don’t have that side effect. If you can’t avoid dry mouth, be sure you are staying hydrated, chewing sugar-free gum, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.
- Visit your dentist twice a year, even if you don’t have any natural teeth and only have dentures.
Have questions about how to improve your oral hygiene routine during National Dental Care Month and beyond? Contact us! We’re here and happy to assist you!
