How Can Better Dental Habits Contribute To A Healthier Life?
Find out how enhanced dental habits can help you to build a healthier, happier life….
Have you ever wondered if your smile has anything to do with your happiness, beyond the expression of smiling when you’re happy? Actually, it can! Let’s take a closer look:
Self Esteem & Confidence
Lots of patients come to Abbey Road Dental struggling with their confidence in relation to their teeth.
For some patients it can be the loss of one or multiple teeth, which can, in turn, impact on confidence. Unfortunately there is still a social stigma attached to missing teeth, regardless of how far society has progressed.
Missing teeth can cause the misalignment and movement of the remaining healthy teeth, a change in the structure of the face, a change in speech and other consequences. So the journey only really begins when a tooth is lost and goes much further than that.
Furthermore, patients may struggle socially either because of the way their teeth look, or because replacements like dentures leave them feeling worried about their speech or denture shifting whilst they are socialising. Teeth implants are available from Abbey Road Dental which don’t have these issues, but for many people, taking the next step and getting implants is challenging, so they suffer with missing teeth or inadequate dentures for far too long.
Stained teeth, gummy teeth and gappy teeth are other dental issues patients may feel self conscious about. This is more acute than previous decades because cosmetic dentistry is so widespread and accessible now, so every celebrity seems to have the perfect teeth. Another common issue we hear about in St John’s from patients is bad breath, which can also cause insecurities and worry socially.
Whatever your reasons for feeling insecure about your smile, there is a solution. Whether it is more regular NW8 dental hygienist appointments, or cosmetic dentistry, there is something that can be done to improve your smile function and aesthetic. This can, in turn, help to enhance your mental health, self esteem and even physical health if you’ve been ignoring gum disease or your diet has suffered because of tooth loss.
Eating Habits
It isn’t all that easy to eat the healthiest diet when you have tooth loss or use dentures. Loose teeth can also make eating healthy food challenging. When you have better dental habits you can often avoid issues like gum disease, tooth loss and more. Essentially, a full set of strong teeth means plenty of munching on wholefoods like fruit and veggies, rather than having to rely on super-soft foods all the time. Implants to replace missing teeth can also mean you can enjoy a healthier diet because you don’t have to contend with slipping dentures or missing teeth when choosing your meals.
Exercise
Exercise is something that anybody can do from anywhere. However, if you are insecure about your smile, you may find it difficult to go to the gym because you lack confidence. You may not want to go for a walk or a swim for fear of somebody seeing your missing teeth. Having a great dental routine helps you to avoid tooth loss, which helps you to avoid this type of insecurity. In addition, having a great oral care routine also helps you to feel more positive about taking care of yourself overall, so you’re more likely to form a healthy relationship with exercise.
The Relationship Between General Health And Dental Health
There is a proven relationship between general health and dental health. Much of this is thought to be related to ‘inflammation’, in that oral inflammation may cause or contribute to inflammation elsewhere. Any bacteria in the mouth is within the digestive tract and can also have access to the bloodstream, so it ends up having an open pass to any other part of the body. Preventative dentistry, which is something we are passionate about here at Abbey Road Dental, is the best way to avoid bacteria in the mouth causing issues elsewhere in the body.
With regular checkups, brushing correctly and regular hygienist visits too, you can help to maintain healthy, strong teeth. In the event that perhaps you haven’t been maintaining your teeth as well, the sooner you get to us, the sooner we can help you get back on track. Our hygienists inparticular have a wealth of tips and tricks to work around challenges like dry mouth, dexterity issues when brushing and more.
Quitting Smoking & Other Bad Habits
Smoking and excessive drinking are just two habits that are highly detrimental to oral health. They both have known negative impacts on your teeth, gums and oral tissues.
Excessive drinking may also cause you to struggle with oral health maintenance itself, because you may be out of routine, or struggling to care for yourself well. Quitting these habits can help you to lead a healthier life overall, including with your oral health care.
Some people use cosmetic dentistry as an incentive to help them quit harmful habits. When you’ve invested time and money into the way your smile looks, you can be more inclined to look after that investment by steering away from bad habits that will actively harm them. Smoking, for example, can cause issues with tooth decay and gum disease, actively harming natural teeth that may be supporting veneers or crowns. Smoking after implant surgery is also a big ‘no no’, for many different reasons, and can easily contribute to these incredible tooth replacements failing.
A Happy & Healthy Smile Is Often Linked To A Healthier Life
As you have seen above, a healthy smile and a healthier life are connected, so it’s important to maintain that daily oral care routine and attend regular checkups with your dentist.
If you’d like to discuss any of the topics above with us, or simply enquire about becoming a patient with Abbey Road Dental, please call us on 02076241603 and we will be more than happy to help!
