Your dental health is one of the most critical components of your overall physical health. Many people don’t think about their oral health until something goes wrong. You want to avoid this situation because once things go wrong it can become painful and expensive.
It’s best to start thinking about how you can protect your pearly whites throughout your lifetime. If you’re wondering about the signs that you need to take control of your dental health, here are some common ones that are hard to miss.
Gum Disease
When this disease shows up it can make you tremble. You may start brushing your teeth one day and find your eyes opening in shock as you realize that there is blood coming out of your gums.
This will be visible on your toothbrush and toothpaste. If you’ve never experienced this before it can be quite alarming, and leave you shaking, especially if you feel that this has never happened to anyone else
However, it is a common occurrence and it usually means that you have gum disease present and you need to take action. Visit your dentist as soon as you notice this so an end can be put to the problem.
Tooth Pain
This is one of the most common symptoms that something is wrong with your dental health. However, surprisingly many people take these pains for granted especially if they don’t feel the pain every day. Many people do not take action until they are doubled over in pain or riding on the ground. Shockingly a toothache can be that painful and rival labor pains!
If you are experiencing tooth pain more than once per week it’s usually a sign that something is happening to the tooth.
You should get it examined by a dentist as soon as possible. It could be that the tooth is decaying.
Nipping a problem like this in the bud early, is the only way to make sure that you don’t end up having excruciating pain.
Do the Basics
Often the reason why you have dental problems is that you fail to do the basics of dental hygiene. Just like anything else good dental hygiene must have a solid foundation, if it doesn’t your dental health will literally start crumbling like dust all around you.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day, make sure that you are always flossing to remove rotting food from between your teeth as this can cause cavities.
Use mouthwash whenever you can to keep things fresh. Mouthwash can put bacteria to flight and send them packing.
Try to limit the amount of sweets you eat or drink regularly. It can settle on your enamel and eat away at it, as the sugar starts to break down. This can be very damaging to your teeth and your enamel.
The last thing you want is for acid to be chewing away at the part of your teeth that you need, to have that beautiful smile that lights up a room.
Visit Your Dentist
Many people hate visiting the dentist. They will literally start to feel overwhelmed at the thought of sitting in a dentist’s chair. This is not an uncommon fear but it is one that needs to be conquered.
Visiting your dentist at least once per year is recommended. It’s even better if you can visit twice a year. This way you can stop problems before they start and save your teeth.
Pay Attention to Emergencies
There are certain things that should always be considered an emergency. For example, if you knock out your tooth you need to get to the dentist immediately. Pick up the tooth and place it on some ice especially if the root is still attached to see what can be done about it. Maybe it can be reattached.
It’s important to try to keep this from happening especially if you play sports. There are several mouth guards available that you can use as well as protective headgear to stop your teeth from getting knocked out in the first place.
Eat Carefully
Diet and healthy teeth go hand in hand. You probably already know that you shouldn’t be chomping on candies at all hours of the day and night because this can be detrimental to your teeth. However, you probably didn’t know that there are foods that are very beneficial to your teeth as well.
For example eating apples and crunching on celery sticks are great ways to clean your teeth. Since these foods are a bit rougher in nature they help to scrub your teeth and keep your gums and breath smelling great.
It’s highly beneficial when you can eat foods that keep your teeth and gums healthy while getting a nutritional value at the same time. This way you are enjoying the best of both worlds.
Deal With Crooked Teeth
The next step is to care for your teeth is to make sure that you are dealing with any crooked or out of place teeth in the best way possible. You should discuss with your dentist your options for getting this problem solved. Your dentist will refer you to an orthodontist so that you can get yourself outfitted with braces.
Crooked teeth not only affect your smile but they can also affect how well you are able to eat food and the overall health of your teeth in the long run. For example, if you unfortunately had to remove one of your teeth because it is decayed, if you do not fill in the gap then the other teeth that’s around it will start moving to close the gap.
This can cause your teeth to lean to one side as if they need a cane. This happens because they literally are trying to get support from the other teeth across the gap.
Whiten When Necessary
If you want your pearly whites to be shiny and bright, you’re going to have to work for it. With all the things that you eat daily and the beverages you may drink it’s not uncommon for your teeth to look brown and stained.
It may also look yellow with age. Instead of hiding in a corner and closing your mouth tightly to stop yourself from having that big laugh, you may want to have a good joke. There are several whitening kits out there on the market that you can use to get your smile to look shiny and white. Many people, however, choose to go to the dentist to get a professional whitening done.
This is one of the best options you can choose when you finish the procedure and look in the mirror, you should be grinning from ear to ear because your smile looks so stunning.
Ask about Payment Plans
One reason why people shy away from getting cosmetic dental procedures is that they don’t think they can afford it. Your insurance may not be jumping up and down with joy to pay for certain things that make your teeth look better, but there’s often more than one way to skin a cat, as they say.
Many dental offices are well aware of the financial rainstorm that can come in like a flood and wash out their patient’s dreams of having that beautiful smile. This is why they offer dental payment plans.
When it comes to getting your teeth to look fabulous there should be no barriers to entry. Everyone deserves to have a smile they can be proud of.
You want to enjoy that joke or eat your favorite food without having to worry. You can make your dream a reality by simply taking care of your teeth in all the ways that have been discussed earlier.
