Dental problems are more troublesome than you might think. Not only are they painful, but they can get in the way of other healthy behaviors that make your life better. It can be a downward spiral.
This post looks at some specific ways dental issues can drag you down and why visiting the dentist regularly is such a good idea.
Chronic Pain
Perhaps the biggest issue is the risk of chronic pain. When you always feel uncomfortable, it’s hard to throw yourself into other healthy behaviors, like exercise and eating well. You just don’t want to do it.
Regular dental appointments prevent this by dealing with issues before they arise. Removing plaque, applying fillings, and ensuring gum disease can’t develop are all essential.
Knock-On Health Problems
Dental and oral health problems can also lead to knock-on issues, including some serious conditions, like diabetes and heart disease. The problem is the systemic effect of inflammation on the rest of the body. The mouth isn’t an isolated organ. Instead, what happens there can cross over into other systems, causing damage over time.
People with oral health problems appear to age faster than those who don’t have any. Individuals are also significantly more likely to develop chronic diseases that harm their well-being.
More Costs
Financially, oral health issues can drag you down, too. Failing to deal with issues as they start often leads to higher health bills long-term.
The Emotional Toll
Failing to deal with dental health problems can also take an emotional toll. Problems with teeth and gums can lead to damaged self-image, depression, and anxiety in social situations.
The problems are worse when dental health issues are visible. Bad breath, missing teeth, and receding gums can all affect confidence and make individuals less willing to engage in social situations.
Again, this is another reason why it is so critical to get dental help when you need it. Leaving problems to fester can have serious consequences for work and social life, harming your overall life chances.
Unwillingness To Smile
Related to the last point, having dental health problems also reduces your willingness to smile. Not smiling not only reduces feelings of joy but also has biological effects on the body. Smiling less can increase the risk of depression and make it harder for your body to function in a healthy manner.
Poor Nutritional Status
Finally, poor oral health can lead to lowering nutritional status over time. You may become less willing to consume certain foods that cause pain or discomfort, reducing you to liquid-based meals or soups.
For instance, toothache makes it almost impossible to eat anything chewy or hard. This rules out most solid foods.
It can also encourage you to get more energy in the form of sugary drinks, which also take a toll on your overall well-being, leading to weight gain and other metabolic conditions.
Eventually, poor nutritional status can develop into outright deficiencies. And when these occur, the damage to the body can be substantial and harmful.
