Nothing But The Tooth: Why Looking After Your Teeth Is So Essential

There’s little more attractive than a dazzling white smile, right? I know at least for me, I am pretty conscious of my pearly whites and am always looking for the next best product to keep them looking as bright white as possible in continual pursuit of that ‘million-dollar smile’!

However, as much importance as we all place on the cosmetic appearance of teeth – I’m not going to lie, I find a nice smile pretty important when dating someone – there are also many more health related reasons to look after your tutty pegs.

In truth, the importance of your teeth, and maintaining them in the correct way, is far greater than many of us may have ever grasped, or even more essential than TV advertising, countless magazine articles, and a lifetime of other influences may have led us to believe. Just read on to understand how important proper dental care could be to you for now, and for the rest of your life.

Poor dental care can have an impact way beyond your mouth

Sure, everyone brushes their teeth with the idea of keeping a clean mouth, fresh breath and a pleasant smile, but what you do in those few minutes in front of the mirror, and how often you do it, can have repercussions way beyond what you look like in selfies. Gum inflammation arising from bacterial infection can be a precursor to those same bacteria getting into the bloodstream and affecting the arteries in and around your heart – causing cardiovascular issues.

More disturbingly, but less conclusively, bacterial growth in the same area has been linked to dementia. While much less is known about the causes of dementia than heart disease, it’s safe to say we all want to do as much as possible to avoid the condition.

Misaligned teeth can affect more than your smile

Although the occasional dental idiosyncrasy can be harmless – and a gap in the teeth can even become part of a personal brand – there are things that you need to look out for when it comes to misaligned chompers. It may be harder to clean in between them, thus leading to higher chances of gum disease – and the wider health issues listed above. 

Not only that, but the misalignment can cause faster rates of wear to the teeth, potentially causing temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) – a condition that can cause headaches among other issues. When you consider that this could be avoided by fitting something as simple as Invisalign treatment or similar intervention, it’s really worth addressing crooked teeth sooner rather than later.

Losing teeth can change the shape of your face

It may not be as scary as some of the information above, but also bear in mind that by not taking care of your teeth, you can end up affecting something as fundamental as the shape of your face. Losing teeth can lead to sunken cheekbones, a more prematurely-aged appearance, and not least of all, a dramatic blow to the self-esteem that comes with being confident enough to smile naturally. It’s worth taking care of your teeth anyway, but if you lose one it’s also worth considering ways to replace it, for the sake of your overall health going forward.

And that’s the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth – so keep the above in mind next time you’re tempted to give brushing your teeth a miss.