The teeth are an important part of the body to maintain, as a healthy set of teeth can make for a pleasant smile, and present no trouble with eating, speech, or anything else, while tooth problems such as cavities, crowding, decay, or lost enamel can be painful, cost a lot to fix at a local dentist, and mean more frequent visits to the dentist’s office, and can in fact harm a person’s image. Crowding of the teeth, which is when there is not enough room for all adult teeth to grow in place, can be addressed in adults with aligners such as Invisalign for those who need it. Invisalign can be helpful, but should probably be prescribed by a dentist. Aside from Invisalign, what dental services should someone expect at a dental visit, and how can tooth health be maintained in daily life? What does tooth care entail?
Teeth and Image
Taking care of oral hygiene is important not only to prevent painful and expensive health problems, but it can also work to boost a person’s image and confidence as well, mainly in adults, but sometimes in children, too. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry carried out a survey, and it showed that 99.7% of American adults, nearly all of them, think that a healthy and attractive smile is important for one’s social life and getting along with others. The same survey showed that three quarters of American adults, 74% of them, think that an unattractive smile can have a negative impact on their professional lives, such as at a job interview, a mixer, or when attempting to get a promotion. After all, business interactions are meetings between people, who evaluate each other based on not just their credentials but their appearance from their clothes, to hair, to skin, to teeth. Poor image may suggest that if a person cannot take care of him or herself, how could they handle the responsibility of a new job or promotion? There may also be underlying, intuitive reasons to trust and accept a person with good personal image versus one who does not. A person may note that in media, such as television shows or movies, the actors for major characters nearly always have straight, white teeth, and often, those with poor dental health are portrayed as ugly, foolish, or worse. For this reason, American adults often find a dentist for tooth whitening purposes, and 82.5% of people who undergo this procedure had satisfying results.
General Dental Health
It is vital for all American adults and children alike to visit the dentist’s office regularly and to practice good dental hygiene between visits, and unfortunately, some don’t; every year, 100 million people do not go to the dentist’s office, but if more did, a lot of money might be saved from prevented or diagnosed dental problems. Getting Invsalign, for example, is possible after one sees the dentist and is informed of the need for them, along with advice on how to put in and use such a device. Invisalign, braces, fillings, and more can be had for patients who need help with their dental health, as cavities should be filled in and braces can help a child, and some adults, with tooth alignment problems.
Dental care in everyday life is important alongside procedures or routine cleaning at the dentist’s office. A person young or old should brush teeth thoroughly after every meal of the day, especially right after meals with sugars in them. Otherwise, sugar can sit on the teeth and provide food for the bacteria that eat it and secret plaque, and a person’s enamel might disappear fast if he or she does not brush regularly. Flossing can also help remove food bits from between teeth, and most mouthwashes are anti-bacterial, helping protect teeth even more. A person should also use mouth guards when playing sports, and a person should not chew on hard items, not even ice cubes, or risk cracking their crowns or enamels. Otherwise, pain may result, along with an expensive dental procedure to fix it at the dentist’s office. Those who smoke or chew tobacco should also be aware that such products can rapidly harm dental health, and can even lead to gum disease and teeth falling out.