Healthy Teeth: Why We Need Them

While teeth aren’t exactly bones – or, really, bones at all – we can still talk about them, right?

The truth is, healthy teeth – and good oral care – are just as vital to your health as nearly any other part of your body. For example, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, there is a relationship between gum (periodontal) disease and health complications such as a stroke and heart disease. Women with gum disease also show higher incidences of pre-term, low birth-weight babies.

In fact, new research suggests that the health of your mouth mirrors the condition of your body as a whole. When your mouth is healthy, chances are your overall health is good, too. On the other hand, if you have poor oral health, you may have other health problems.

And according to WebMD, flossing might also be an overlooked fountain of youth. Gum disease can ruin the youthful aesthetics of your smile by eating away at gums and teeth. It also attacks the bones that support your teeth and the lower third of your face. People who preserve the height of that bone by flossing look better as they age.

Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth allow you to look and feel good, and they make it possible to eat and speak properly.

Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and troublesome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.