The purpose of good oral hygiene isn’t just to give you that perfect smile. As it turns out, not only does it make sure everything in your mouth stays A-okay, without it, a lot would go wrong in your body.
Now, let's unpack that sentence, shall we? Let's talk about the benefits of maintaining good oral hygiene in 2022.
What is Oral Hygiene?
Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping your mouth clean and free of disease. Good oral hygiene includes regular brushing, flossing, and periodic visits to the dentist for exams, cleanings, and X-rays- just to make sure everything is how it should be.
1. Better safe than sorry
Let’s start with the most obvious reason. Naturally, oral hygiene is preventative care. By taking care of your teeth and gums, you can avoid future problems like cavities, gum disease, tooth erosions, infections, halitosis (bad breath), and oral cancer.
2. Poor oral health can translate to poor overall health
A problem in your mouth can make you much, much more sick. For example, an infection in your mouth can carry bacteria through your bloodstream to other parts of your body and create bigger problems like heart disease and stroke. So, all those hours in the gym won't mean a thing if you don't take proper care of your teeth and your gums as well.
3. It will keep you physically healthy
Oral health problems can escalate to bigger problems elsewhere in the body. If you don't pay attention to problems like gingivitis and periodontitis, it can contribute to conditions like:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Pneumonia
- Endocarditis
- Premature birth, low birth weight, and other pregnancy complications.
Other serious problems can also cause poor oral health
Conditions like diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's, and osteoporosis can also make it harder to care for your teeth and worsen your oral health. Accommodations should be made to make it easier for you (or someone else) to take care of your mouth if you have such a condition.
4. You can save a fortune just by taking care of your teeth
Even if you go see a cheaper dentist, dental treatments are still costly. In fact, many people keep procrastinating on getting treated for a dental problem for 2 simple reasons- it's costly and they think they'll be okay even if they don't get treated. But they just end up making the problems worse and the treatment costlier. Just going to the dentist for regular checkups is way cheaper and better for you.
And if you take good care of your teeth every day, you'll likely end up saving thousands, if not lakhs, on future dental treatments.
5. You'll have healthy gums
Practicing proper oral hygiene will keep your gums healthy and prevent bacterial growth which can often lead to infectious gum diseases and teeth loss. Gum disease also affects carbohydrate metabolism, thereby increasing the blood sugar level in diabetes.
6. It will keep oral cancer at bay
Simply taking care of your teeth with good oral habits and regular dental checkups can keep oral cancer at bay. And when you visit for routine checkups, the dentist will catch any possibilities of cancer development before it can get worse.
7. You’ll have stronger teeth
By regularly removing plaque and food particles from your teeth, you don't allow calculus to form and progress into cavities and decay. You'll have stronger teeth with better chewing function.
8. It will keep you smelling fresh
Good oral care means no bad breath since it removes the germs that cause bad breath and infection.
9. It's easy to get that perfect smile
That perfect, bright smile isn’t just for billboards or the red carpet. With healthy, clean teeth, you will smile confidently wherever you go!
10. Healthy teeth, a healthy pregnancy
Poor oral health can also lead to complications in pregnancy, like premature delivery, birth defects, low-weight babies, and other abnormalities.
60-90% of school-going children have at least one cavity. In fact, nearly everyone has had or will have at least one cavity in their entire lives. 15-20% of adults aged 35 to 44 have severe gum disease, and around 30% of adults aged 65 to 74 have lost their natural teeth completely. To top that, every 10 out of 1 lakh people in most countries are diagnosed with oral cancer. Oral care can certainly not be left for the body to deal with on its own.
Oral health is often taken for granted, but with how much power it has over our overall health, it only makes sense to make it a priority. It’s a lifelong commitment, but if you take out just 15 minutes from your busy life to take care of your mouth, we promise that it will take care of you!
