There are many things that impact our quality of life: where we live, who we socialize with, and what we do in our spare time, just to name a few. But these things are more obvious. Some things we don’t even think about can affect our quality of life, too, such as our oral health. While it may seem like oral health would only affect our mouth, it goes well beyond the mouth, affecting the entire body.
The truth is, oral health problems are often responsible for systemic problems. One such example is gum disease, which is caused by inflammation and bacteria that can travel to the brain and heart, causing and worsening other conditions of the body.
Another way in which poor oral health impacts our quality of life is by affecting our mental health. This can come in the form of low self-esteem due to things like bad breath, decaying teeth, or missing teeth. This negative impact on our self-esteem can be staggering, causing us to miss out on opportunities in our personal lives as well as in our professional lives. In fact, a recent study found that 18 percent of adults believe their mouth and the condition of their teeth affects “their ability to interview for a job.” Numbers were even higher for those with lower incomes.
When it comes to adults who are already employed, the data isn’t much better. It is estimated that annually businesses lose $45 billion dollars due to untreated oral health problems. Worse yet, 34 million school hours are lost each year to oral health problems among children.
Thankfully, Dr. Abelar can help. Whether its a routine cleaning and exam or a visit to address another problem, getting your oral health in check can vastly improve your quality of life. Dentists can even help spot and ward-off other problems that may show warning signs in the mouth, such as oral cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, GERD, chronic kidney disease, celiac disease, anemia, AIDS and more.
If you haven’t been in to see us in a while, isn’t it time to put your oral health front and center? Don’t let fear or a busy schedule get in the way of your oral health. A trip to the dentist could save your life!
