Caring for your teeth, mouth, and gums is one of the essential elements of caring for your health. If you don’t take good care of your dental and oral health, it can lead to cavities or periodontal disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, periodontal disease is a preventable condition that leads to damage to the soft tissue around your teeth. If you allow your periodontal disease to progress to an advanced state, you may need to visit a dental specialist called a periodontist.

The most common cause of periodontal disease is inadequate dental hygiene. However, according to Colgate, if one of your parents or grandparents had gum disease, you may have acquired genetic periodontal disease. If you’re aware of your family history, you can take extra dental hygiene measures to prevent the development of hereditary periodontal disease.

When you get your annual dental cleaning, the dentist will typically provide periodontal disease patient education. For example, according to the CDC, living with periodontal disease will require more than regular brushing, flossing, and dental cleaning. The CDC recommends that you increase the frequency of dental cleanings to every 3 months and to follow any other recommendations by your dentist or periodontist.

Oral health is incredibly important.

It can be easy to take for granted the good regular brushing and flossing does for you, right up until you feel a stabbing pain in your jaw or notice your gums are bleeding excessively. When all of your hard work doesn’t seem to make you feel any better, your local dental office can, quite literally, get to the root of the problem. Good oral health is becoming more important than ever in the United States as periodontal disease rises and cavities become commonplace.

Here’s what you should know about good oral health and the warning signs of cavities, erupting wisdom teeth and periodontal disease.

Did You Know?

There’s nothing quite like a good smile. A single smile can light up the room, appeal to a new boss and make you feel better about yourself. When this smile is marred by poor oral health? You’ll do whatever it takes to bring you back up to par. According to a recent AACD survey analyzing the psychological appeal of a good smile, nearly all respondents stated a good smile is socially important.

Periodontal Disease And Gingivitis

One of the most common barriers standing in-between the average person and good oral health is gum disease. Gingivitis is more mild, often manifesting as sensitive gums that bleed too much, while periodontal disease is more serious and can lead to a painful infection if neglected. Periodontal disease increases with age, but it can affect anyone that doesn’t brush or floss on a regular basis. Your local dentist offices can pinpoint your issue and provide you with a daily strategy to keep periodontal disease or gingivitis at bay.

Wisdom Teeth And Impacted Teeth

What’s even more frustrating than periodontal disease? Many would say an erupted wisdom tooth. Wisdom teeth are the very last adult teeth to come into the mouth (or erupt) and most people have four, with two on the bottom and two on the top. Impacted wisdom teeth are third molars in the very back of the mouth that aren’t given enough room to develop normally or even emerge from the gums. When you’re faced with this issue you need wisdom tooth extraction surgery to correct it. Delaying this can lead to permanent jaw damage and chronic pain.

Cavities And Root Canals

Another problem about as common as gingivitis is the omnipresent cavity. While wisdom tooth extraction surgery is essential to correct an impacted wisdom tooth, cavities that are neglected can easily turn into a root canal. This is when the infection reaches the root of your tooth and causes severe pain, potentially putting you in the position of seeing an emergency dentist. For those that want to kill two birds with one stone cosmetic dentistry services can provide you with veneers, teeth whitening resources or replacement teeth to encourage a healthy glow.

Taking Good Care Of Your Teeth

Good oral health is a combination of day-to-day habits and regular visits to the dentist. Today over three million Americans have implants, with this number only growing higher and higher, and cosmetic dentistry is starting to rise in popularity as more adults embrace the benefits of a bright smile. Visiting the dentist for wisdom tooth extraction surgery or a simple teeth cleaning session will do wonders to stave off common issues and keep you feeling your best. One illuminating survey found more than half of the adult American population over the age of 50 stating a nice smile is the one physical feature that stays attractive as we age.

Your smile is one of your best features. Give it a reason to shine with regular visits to your local dentists.