Maintaining healthy teeth and gums provides many benefits. It is believed that there is a correlation between the oral health condition and the status of overall health, so developing a strong oral hygiene regimen along with regular visits with your dentist are very important.
Getting an Early Start for Maximum Benefit
Did you know that a child’s first visit to the dentist should occur around the age of twelve months? Protecting baby teeth is important as they lay the groundwork for the permanent teeth that will erupt … the teeth that are needed to chew correctly, speak properly, and that will impact appearance for the rest of our lives.
Early dental visits consist primarily of an exam. The dentist is looking for existing or potential problems. These early visits provide the perfect opportunity for caregivers to learn the advantages of proper dental care for your child. Developing a strong oral hygiene regimen will provide protection for your child that will hopefully follow them into adulthood.
The Advantages of a Good Oral Hygiene Program
Brushing teeth twice a day is fairly common knowledge. Flossing daily is necessary to reach areas your toothbrush can’t get to between teeth. Daily oral care will help control the plaque that can form on teeth. When plaque is allowed to build on teeth it provides the potential for bacteria to breach the protective tooth enamel resulting in dental decay. Decay will not go away on its own. The advantages of maintaining regular visits to the dentist are that harmful plaque and tartar is removed and a dental exam is performed that may find and resolve problems early before they can escalate.
Failure to maintain good oral health can lead to more concerns than dental cavities. While preventing decay is important, controlling the onset of gum disease is a huge concern especially as you age. Gum disease can lead to problems like bleeding gums, bad breath, and eventually tooth loss.
Additionally, the inflammation connected to gum disease may be linked to serious health issues like stroke, heart disease, Type II diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The importance of developing good oral habits early as well as eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and not using tobacco, coupled with regular visits with our team at Bliss Dental are needed to develop a strong basis for optimum oral and overall health.