‍

When everything is going OK in our lives, many of us likely have a tendency to presume that this will always be the case. This isn’t always a bad thing, and the constant stress of worrying what could go wrong would have its own side effects. As we are fully aware though, there are certain things that we do need to do each and every day if we are to thrive, or even survive. Eating, for example, is essential.

The same thing applies when it comes to looking after our teeth and gums. Everyday care should include keeping an eye on our diet, avoiding sugars and overly-acidic products as far as possible. It also means cleaning our teeth twice a day and introducing the use of tooth floss if you do not already use this. Professional oral care will also need to be maintained, with six monthly check ups at The Lodge Dental Suite being an essential part of your overall oral health regimen.

Quality of life

Before we move on to some of the more unexpected consequences of neglecting our oral health, our principle dentist, Melisha Govender considers the more immediate impact that poor oral health can have on your life.

Aesthetics – Taking pride in our appearance can have an important impact upon our lives. A nice looking smile can help to attract a partner and may also be influential when it comes to applying for a job. Even our own self esteem and confidence can take a knock if we have teeth missing, or even badly stained teeth. With the treatments that we provide at our Cheshunt dental practice, these problems can largely be avoided with a little help from our team.

Gum disease – Less well understood by some patients, gum health is very important and will help you to retain your natural teeth for longer. Patients who do not look after their gums may suffer from problems such as bad breath, which may drive friends and colleagues away. Tooth loss can also be the result of more advance gum disease.

Other health issues

Although research is still in its relatively early stages, there have been a number of studies that have indicated that periodontal problems may allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream, and that this may eventually contribute to serious health issues such as a stroke, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease. Whilst diabetics are known to be more susceptible to gum disease, there is also some current discussion as to whether gum disease increases the risk of a patient becoming diabetic.

Whilst some of the more serious issues may yet need further research before being fully proven, common sense should tell us to to make the little effort necessary to look after our teeth and gums anyway. Cleaning our teeth is straightforward and even flossing can be easily introduced into our daily care. Our local hygienist will be happy to show you how to do this if you are finding it a little awkward. Remember too, to make sure that you book your six monthly check up with our Cheshunt team by calling The Lodge Dental Suite on 01992 643388.

Melisha Govender is the principle dentist at The Lodge Dental Suite (GDC registration number 75046)

‍