You begin visiting your dentist for routine teeth cleanings as soon as you grow your first baby teeth. This regular care from your dentist can be crucial for your oral health as well as the well-being of the rest of your body. Dental health can impact other medical concerns. So taking care of your smile will keep the rest of you healthy too.
Recent research in the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry suggests that regular care from your dentist can reduce the amount of money you spend on other health care. So while some people may worry about time and money spent on dental work, this could ultimately lead to major savings in the long run. Read on to learn more about how good preventative dental care can keep your medical costs low.
How Does Oral Health Connect to Overall Wellness?
When you attend a routine dentist appointment, your dentist will clean your teeth and examine your smile for signs of potential dental problems. This cleaning removes excess plaque and tartar build-up from your teeth. While you practice oral hygiene at home, your toothbrush cannot always reach all areas in your mouth.
This can leave plaque on your teeth, where they can spread the natural oral bacteria through your mouth, increasing your risk for oral infections like gum disease. These infections will create inflammation that will link with the body’s inflammatory response.
This complication can make it harder to manage certain health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. You might also have a higher chance of developing other problems like pneumonia or arthritis.
To avoid this type of health trouble, you should reduce your risk of oral infections by keeping your smile clean. This will entail at-home care but also attending routine dental check-ups. Preventative dental care will promote good oral health. And a dentist can also spot early signs of any issues during these appointments. Then they can offer swift treatment before you suffer lasting dental damage.
Worried About Dental Work Expenses?
Despite the health advantages, some people might worry that seeking regular dental care will become expensive. But if you skip routine dentist appointments, you carry a higher chance of oral infections that can create other medical problems. Dealing with doctors for these issues or an emergency could result in a costly bill.
You can lower the risk of requiring this extra health care if you seek preventative dentistry from your dentist regularly. If you worry about the cost of this dental work, speak to your dentist’s office about your dental insurance plan.
Most dental insurance policies cover two teeth cleaning appointments per year, so you should take advantage of this. Your dentist can let you know about other dental work you may need or desire and whether your annual premium will cover that cost. Over time, you will notice a great amount of savings from this care. So do not delay your oral health treatments.