Oral Care and the Young Canadian
We all have the 21st-century work schedules and kids have their study and sports schedule. Work, commute, kids, friends, visits to the shopping mall etc. These are all chores of different types, combine that with the time lost on social media and we find that one of the things that suffer the most is everyone’s health. Everyone who hasn’t managed to get off this treadmill that is! And a consequence of that is that kids dental health particularly can sometimes take a back seat
And if health is neglected, let’s hazard a guess the part that’s most neglected is Oral care.
Thanks to the need to look good, the gym membership, the yoga routine and sometimes the pilates or the spin studio do get used productively. Oral health for young people on the move – especially young people in the twenties to their forties tends to be the ones that most neglect their Oral health.
Procrastination or Odontophobia
A visit to the Dentist tends to be one that’s associated with discomfort if not needles and pain; given the busy schedules that is the visit that gets put off. The fear of the Dentist or Odontophobia may not often be the key reason for this procrastination. It usually is the sheer lack of time in the schedule of young people.
Where kids dental and oral health is concerned, a key challenege tends to be that young people often don’t realize is that it doesn’t take long before a minor problem becomes a major headache. The old adage “a stitch in time, saves nine”, is extremely true when it comes to dentistry. A tooth left untreated for a long time, that could have been fixed easily with a simple filling, may with the passage of time need a root canal treatment, and in extreme cases may need removal. Untreated gum disease could flare up leading to the need for periodontal surgery.
Your mouth is a gateway to overall health
Skipping a visit to the Kids Dentist could end up being a cost for your health. Remember that a Dentist’s probe into your mouth can show them a lot of things beyond just what may be in the mouth. Many illnesses are related to Oral care – bleeding gums are a gateway bacteria to enter straight into the body’s bloodstream. Your Dentist can also spot if there is a decrease in saliva flow (dry mouth) which might also make it easy for bacteria to enter the body.
If a person neglects their oral health for say a period of 2 to 3 years, the damage has begun. A longer period of neglect would see a worsening of problems including perhaps the onset of gum recession or bone loss. Sadly it’s little realized that the presence of bacteria in the mouth speeds up the damage to the bones that support the teeth in your mouth. This neglect could lead to loss of of your natural teeth and may create a future need for you to get a Dental Bridge or have Dental Implants placed in your mouth. These are solutions for the replacement of natural teeth in your mouth.
According to research by the Mayo Clinic, your oral health might contribute to various diseases and conditions, including:
– Endocarditis: Endocarditis typically occurs when bacteria or other germs from another part of your body, such as your mouth, spread through your bloodstream and attach to damaged areas in your heart.
– Cardiovascular disease: Some research suggests that heart disease, clogged arteries, and stroke might be linked to the inflammation and infections that oral bacteria can cause.
– Pregnancy and birth: Periodontitis has been linked to premature birth and low birth weight.
So, while a shortage of time is now endemic for kids and young people, we advise them to not to miss their dental appointments to ensure that their Oral health stays in top shape, and with that their overall health stays in top shape too.
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