Dr. Seuss uses humor to hit home an incredibly important point: Once baby teeth fall out and permanent teeth pop up, you don’t get another shot at growing more teeth.
The Importance of Your Pearly Whites
As DentalHealth.org points out, teeth help us:
- Chew and digest food
- Talk and speak clearly
- Give our face its shape
- Boost our confidence, which affects our social lives, careers, and relationships
- Live longer
- “Research has found that the number of teeth we have is strongly linked to how long we live. Those with 20 teeth or more at the age of 70 had a considerably higher chance of living longer than those with less than 20 teeth.”
If your teeth are healthy, chances are your gums are too. Healthy gums are essential because unhealthy gums contribute to certain cancers, forms of dementia, increased risk of heart attack, potential strokes, diabetes, and premature births, among other things.
Between a childhood filled with someone continually reminding us to brush our teeth and the mountains of research dedicated to dental hygiene, you’d think everyone would treat their teeth like rare and priceless objects that require constant surveillance and care, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Teeth are often not valued and cared for as they should be until a tooth-related issue occurs.
Teeth Tell the Tale, & They Aren’t Known to Lie
Consider these facts:
- “People who drink 3 or more glasses of soda each day have 62% more tooth decay, fillings, and tooth loss than others.”
- “If you don’t floss, you miss cleaning 40% of your tooth surfaces.”
- “The average person only brushes 45 to 70 seconds a day; the recommended amount of time is 2-3 minutes.”
- “78% of Americans have had at least 1 cavity by age 17.”
- “There are 10-12 teaspoons of sugar in a single can of soda.”
The above facts suggest that more people need to listen to dental experts. Here’s the good news: It’s never too late to be better today than you were yesterday. Limit sugary drinks. Floss when you brush. Gently brush your tongue when you brush your teeth. Never go to bed without brushing and flossing. Brush for at least two minutes. Visit your dentist once a year or twice a year, if needed. And don’t forget the benefits of supplements like BMD Advanced, a bone mineral developer clinically proven to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and maintain healthy cartilage, teeth, and gums.
Do not underestimate the value of your teeth.
Never neglect your responsibility to care for the only permanent teeth you’ll ever grow.
Make dental health one of your highest priorities.
Author: Evelyn Lindell
Certified Health & Wellness Coach