A trip to the dentist early this week got me thinking about pain and the cost of procrastinating when it comes to visiting the dentist. Yes. I clearly see the value in taking care of your teeth from a very early age. If you've never had a tooth ache, let me tell you how bad tooth pain is.
Brush Your Teeth
Tooth maintenance is pennies compared to the thousands it costs for root canals, crowns and bridges. You want to take care of your teeth.
Your health suffers, too. Bad teeth means you can't chew food well, and you can't chew some food at all. This limits your food choices. Unfortunately, limited food choices easily result in poor health, and poor health spirals into all sorts of pain and medical costs, too.
The American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice a day; one time should be before sleep. It's important to brush your teeth after you eat.
Most know this, but did you know that when you eat food or drink beverages containing sugar or starch, the bacteria in your mouth produces acid that attacks your tooth enamel for 20 minutes. Yee Gad, 20 minutes. It's like little bugs chomping away at my teeth for 20 minutes. Where's my toothbrush?
Obviously, choosing nutritious foods that are low in carbohydrates and sugar help reduce the harm from those acid buggers... and drinking plenty of water is a roadblock, too.
I heard somewhere that your life expectancy is directly related to how well you take care of your teeth. That's a gruesome thought. Gasp.
Of course, brushing your teeth alone can't remove all of the decay-causing plaque. The American Dental Association also recommends using an antimicrobial mouth rinse plus flossing daily between your teeth to get rid of food particles and minimize plaque and bacteria.