Not looking forward to your next dental visit?
Because of the pandemic, most people aren’t going to the dentist because they’re concerned about their health. For some, though, this is only an excuse for them to not go in the first place.
A staggering amount of people believe that they don’t need to visit the dentist because their oral health is fine. They only need to brush their teeth to keep them in good condition. This removes the sense of urgency to get a checkup, but with these dental facts, their minds may still change.
Below are seven oral health facts that you need to know. Read on to see how they can affect your health.
1. There’s Always Bacteria In Our Mouth
Did you know that there are over 700 kinds of bacteria in our mouth? This is the case no matter what you do to try to get rid of them. Our mouths will always produce them through our saliva.
They’re the ones who help break down what we eat as we chew our food. It prepares the food to go down to our stomach, aiding in digesting them. These bacteria also do the same for whatever we drink.
On their own, the bacteria won’t do much to damage our mouths. However, if left alone for too long, they’ll react with one another and cause different kinds of issues in your mouth. These reactions are the primary cause of halitosis, which often impacts the self-esteem of most people.
With the right cleaning methods, though, it’s possible to reduce the amount of bacteria in our mouths. Do keep in mind that you need to do more than brush your teeth. Your teeth only account for 40% of the bacteria in your mouth.
Brushing your tongue and cheeks, and flossing after gargling mouth wash gets rid of the rest.
2. Teeth are the Hardest Parts of Your Body
A special substance called enamel makes up the exterior of your teeth. This substance is much harder than anything else in your body, including your bones! It’s what protects the pulp and nerves of your teeth from bacteria and direct damage.
Enamel is much like our bones, but it doesn’t repair itself overtime. While it’s the hardest substance in the body, it doesn’t mean it’s immune to damage. Once there’s a crack, it can only get worse and it allows bacteria to go inside.
Things such as sports injuries and heavy trauma to the jaw can cause these breaks. Without a visit to your dentist, these issues will only grow and can result in an infected pulp along the line.
3. Over-Brushing is Detrimental to Oral Health
With oral health being one of the things you should prioritize, you may become enthusiastic about brushing your teeth. This is all well and good as long as you’re not too enthusiastic about doing it.
This is important because over-brushing can have an effect that’s opposite of what you wanted. Instead of helping you keep your teeth healthy, brushing too hard can strip away the protective enamel on your teeth.
Not only that, but it also causes gum recession. This is when your gums lose their hold on your teeth. Once this happens, it’s easier for your teeth to get knocked out with the slightest of blunt force trauma.
4. We Constantly Produce Saliva
Did you know that we can produce up to 20,000 liters of saliva throughout our lives? We do so with good reason, too.
Saliva is among the first lines of defense when it comes to our mouth. It’s responsible for doing most of the cleaning throughout the day. It also gets rid of a lot of the leftover debris from our meals.
We’ll keep producing saliva as long as our bodies can spare the water to do so. If production stops, it can cause you to have a nasty case of dry mouth.
This can contribute to an increased risk of tooth decay and even fungal infection. It’s an important reminder to keep yourself hydrated. Doing so also promotes your oral health allowing your mouth to heal faster.
5. Diabetes and Gum Disease
Among the most interesting dentistry facts is that diabetes can increase the risk of gum disease. This is because of the sugar content in their blood.
Diabetic people are more susceptible to contracting infections. This is because their immune systems become suppressed by the high blood sugar content in their bodies. Long-term diabetics may also experience peripheral nerve damage, also increasing infection rates.
6. Common Dental Problems Differ As You Age
Kids and adults have vastly different oral health problems. This is among the dental information that most people don’t know. This all comes down to the lifestyles of these groups of people.
Kids often love sugary treats. This is why they often have more problems involving their teeth than anything else. Tooth decay and rot are their primary issues because of this.
Adults, on the other hand, have more problems regarding their gums. This is because of long-term diseases that cause the gums to degenerate, like diabetes.
These can even affect the jawbones of adults. These can warrant the need for surgeries or procedures like all on four implants. If this has happened to you, you can consider getting Dental implants in Encino.
What’s great is that it’s easy to perform these procedures nowadays. This is often because dentists have a reliable dental supply company to contact. This way, they won’t run out of the materials and supplies needed to perform such procedures.
7. Different Things Can Cause Oral Cancer
Oral cancer is the most concerning issue to watch out for. It can start from anywhere like the mouth or throat. What’s worse is that a lot of things can cause oral cancers to start.
Smoking is the primary cause of oral cancer. Things that contain tobacco like gums and snuff can cause cancer cells to grow. E-cigarettes are also counted here.
Alcohol can also cause mouth cancer, but is easily controlled via moderation. Even lip balm can cause cancer if it has enough SPF components in it.
To spot out potential cancer growth, it’s best to approach a dentist. They can identify and advise you on what you should in any case.
Learn How These Dental Facts Affect You
These dental facts may be what stands between you and the degradation of your oral health. Learn about them and see how they can affect you. Once you see how, visit your dentist to learn how you can prevent your oral health from degrading!
Do you want to learn more about your health and what can affect it? Check out more of our guides to learn all you can today!
