Why Is Preventive Dental Care Important?
Your oral health improves your ability to speak, eat, smile, and display emotions using facial expressions. In addition, preventive dental care and good oral hygiene developed early leads to better overall health throughout your life.
Over the past several decades, American dental health has improved significantly. Unfortunately, a sizeable number are still without primary dental care resulting in higher rates of oral infections. Oral conditions like tooth decay, periodontal disease, and oral cancer still cause significant pain and hardship to countless adults and children in America, especially among lower-income households. Approximately 25 percent of Americans have at least one untreated cavity equating to 2.5 million adults in Illinois affected by various oral conditions.
Access to preventive dental care and reduce disparities in oral health in low-income households. Specifically, early intervention and prevention during childhood and adolescence are essential because losing teeth has many implications on an individual’s overall well-being throughout their life.
Dental Care Remains an Unfulfilled Need
One of the most unfulfilled health needs of children remains dental care. For example, tooth decay remains a chronic childhood health problem in America. It is five times more common than asthma and seven times as hay fever. Children from low-income families have twice as many dental cavities as their affluent counterparts, and the disease remains untreated on most occasions.
Children under 11 and below have cavities, and 65 percent received no treatment. The presence of tooth decay among low-income households negatively impacts the family’s quality of life because the child’s speech, nutrition, and learning abilities are affected. Children with special needs are particularly risky to dental caries and the need for higher unfulfilled needs.
The Impacts of Childhood Last for Life
Prevention of dental caries should remain a concern because untreated infections affect a child’s health and cause the entire family severe pain and health issues, besides impacting their school attendance and performance. Moreover, the burden worsens for low-income households because children don’t get treatment for infections in their teeth, resulting in higher expenditure.
Many Americans are uninsured, do not receive preventive dentistry in Worcester, MA, and experience worsened health conditions. For example, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaskan natives, besides low-income households and less likely to be insured than affluent Americans.
The Importance of Preventive Dental Care
Preventive Dental Care in Worcester, MA, doesn’t require Americans to indulge in additional expenses, especially if they have dental insurance. Two dental visits are covered every year by insurance companies specifically for preventive dental care.
Preventive dentistry helps teach the practices of caring for your teeth and gums to keep them healthy and prevent issues like dental caries, periodontal disease, et cetera. Preventive dentistry also includes visiting the Worcester dentist every six months or as suggested by the practitioner for cleanings and exams.
Preventive dentistry practices must include brushing teeth twice daily for two minutes each with fluoride toothpaste. The habit must also include brushing the tongue to remove bacteria to freshen the breath.
Flossing is also integral when maintaining preventive dental care. Flossing helps eliminate food particles and bacteria between the teeth and places challenging to reach in the mouth. Flossing once daily is recommended by the ADA and most dentists to help prevent unnecessary dental complications.
Six monthly dental visits for exams and cleanings are essential for preventive dentistry. The dental visits to the professional help identify infections like tooth decay and gum disease to offer treatments early before the condition aggravates. Dental visits also help people have treatment to prevent dental disorders.
Besides the above, people must also ensure they have a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, providing the essential nutrients needed to remain healthy. In addition, people must make efforts to avoid sugary and starchy foods, the prime culprits resulting in tooth decay and other infections.
Preventive dentistry gains significance because it benefits everyone regardless of age. In addition, such practices help people avoid general health problems like diabetes, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and cancer because oral health is associated with general health, making maintaining proper oral hygiene incredibly essential. Therefore preventive dental practices, including early and routine treatment from the dentist coupled with good home care, benefits people emotionally and financially in the long run.
If you haven’t heard about preventive dental practices, we suggest you consult Tatnuck Family Dental Care to learn how these practices benefit your general, dental, and financial health. Arrange your appointment with them today to learn why preventive dentistry in Worcester, MA is essential.
