The Gateway to Health
Happy Friday Everyone, I hope everyone had a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day yesterday. I spent my morning yesterday getting my kids ready for school and then I was off to visit my dentist for my six month check-up. As I was relaxing in the chair getting my teeth cleaned my mind was out and about thinking of how dental care impacts our daily health. There is an old saying that the eyes are the window to the soul, if that axiom is true (and I believe it is) then the mouth is the gateway to good…or poor health.
Let’s take a look at some of the numbers provided by the American Dental Association (2014): of adults age 18 and over who were surveyed, only 52% report to visit their dentist every six months which is recommended for proper cleaning and oral health. 15% report going once a year…11% report going once every few years and an incredible 21% report to have not been to the dentist in several years. The number for children and teens are a little better…65% of patients under the age of 18 report seeing their dentist every six months. 20% report going once a year…4% reports going every few years and 11% report not having been in several years. I find some of these numbers a bit surprising but then when one sits and thinks about the why and how these numbers distribute the way they do one could almost understand some of them.
Some folks rationalize their decision not to visit the dentist with the ol’ “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, only going to their dentist when there is a medical need to go and then, only if there is nothing else that can be done. Other just don’t have the means (read income or insurance) to visit the dentist, even once a year, which in my mind would be better than never. And then some folk just don’t trust a dentist as far as they could throw them and have a great fear of their medical art. According to the Colgate Oral Care Center, “People with dental phobia often put off routine care for years or even decades. To avoid it, they'll put up with gum infections (periodontal disease), pain, or even broken and unsightly teeth….It has been estimated that 9% to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of anxiety and fear. That's about 30 million to 40 million people.”
The critical part here is that as more and more research is conducted on the link between dental care and general health, the numbers are starting to show just how important dental care really is. Poor oral care has been linked in one way or another to have a negative impact on the following chronic illnesses and conditions…Pregnancy: women who have poor oral health and are pregnant have a higher chance of delivering premature and/or the baby having a low birth weight. There have been links to plaque build-up and gum disease to the decreased health and wellness of the patient’s cardiovascular system. Patients who suffer COPD or from pneumonia are at greater risk for prolonged illness if they also have gum disease because of the bacteria that enters the body through the infected gums. Diabetics are also at risk from gum disease, again, from the chance if infections from slow healing bleeding gums. There are several more illnesses that are linked to and exacerbated by poor oral health but My hope here today is to just raise your awareness of the importance of taking care of your teeth and gums…after all, it’s the gateway to your body, protect it.
As always, thanks for taking the time to read our blog. If you have any questions for me or anyone here at the office, drop me an email. Have a great weekend everyone, be safe and take care of each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com