Taking place between May 20 and June 20, National Smile Month is a great opportunity for us to learn a little more about our oral health and find out just why it is so important to our overall well-being.
You may not think it is true, but looking after your oral health really can make a difference to how healthy you are. So there are plenty of reasons for looking after your oral health.
If you take a second to think about it, your mouth is the first port of call for lots of things. If you don’t keep it in a good condition, it’s an ideal place for bugs and nasties to get into the bloodstream. In fact, poor oral health has been linked to quite a few unpleasant things in the last 12 months:
- Gum disease has been linked to high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Dementia could be brought on by increased poor oral health.
- Scientists have even discovered severe gum disease could lead to a higher risk of developing oral cancer
Never mind the serious stuff, your oral health is also really important as it enables you to do something very special – smile. It costs nothing and can make a real different to the recipient. It can make a difference to many walks of life – be it personal or professional. It’s a proven fact members of the opposite sex are attracted to a great smile. Studies into smiling, laughter and generally feeling happy suggest they can have a positive effect on your physical and mental health. If you don’t look after your oral health, one of life’s great intangibles could suffer.
Speaking of attraction, there’s nothing worse than talking to someone with bad breath. It’s a complete turn off and can often lead to lower self-esteem. National Smile Month is the perfect opportunity to do something about it. The smell is caused by gas producing bacteria on teeth and on the tongue, so taking better care of your teeth and removing plaque can really help the quest to rid you of bad breath.
Gum disease and tooth decay are the two biggest reasons to keep up good oral health. In fact, around a third of adults and children still have tooth decay in the UK. Both are entirely preventable, but they’re also very common. Gum disease is the largest cause of tooth loss in adults, and it’s something you’re likely to get at some point in your life.
So there really aren’t any excuses to not to improve your oral health. The best way to do it – a visit to the dentist.