Practicing dental health is important to maintaining good oral health, including healthy teeth, healthy gums, and a healthy smile. It also helps improve one’s appearance and has several positive impacts on improving quality of life. Diseased, crooked, or missing teeth or a misshapen jaw can interfere with speech, make chewing food difficult, tiresome, and painful, and it can also lead to expensive corrective dental procedures. Dental health is also important to prevent cavities, which are painful areas on the teeth where decay has set in, deteriorating the enamel and exposing a tooth’s root. Hot or cold food or liquids can send a painful signal that something is wrong and may be confused with tooth sensitivity, although it is actually due to tooth decay. Oftentimes, cavities do not exhibit any symptoms until after significant damage to the tooth has occurred, which is why regular visits to a dental professional are so important. It is easier to treat early signs of tooth decay than it is to treat advanced cases. Thanks to modern dental technology, treating tooth decay is often, at worst, only mildly uncomfortable. Medications that numb the area of the decay eliminate the pain of filling a cavity for most people and can make this process much less worrisome.

There are countless benefits of good oral health and hygiene, many of which expand beyond teeth and gum health and impact the entire body, including:

• Prevents cavities & gum disease
• Maintains a bright and healthy smile“
• Prevents more serious diseases
• Stops bad breath (halitosis)
• Lowers health care costs
• Reduces instances of canker sores
• Prevents periodontal disease
• Reduces risk of tooth decay
• Helps maintain memory
• Improves fertility in women
• Reduces joint inflammation
• Reduces risk of diabetes
• Decreases risk of infections

Poor oral hygiene can lead to:

• Bone loss
• Cancer
• Inflammation of blood vessels
• Hardened arteries
• High blood pressure
• Blood clots
• Fertility problems

It is also associated with the following:

• Heart Disease: Endocarditis and Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer, specifically Pancreatic and Oropharyngeal
• Alzheimer’s and Dementia
• Osteoporosis
• Pregnancy Problems, such as:

• Preterm birth
• Low birth weight
• Infections of the newborn

In order to keep teeth and gums healthy, it is essential to brush and floss twice daily. This removes built-up plaque and food particles that get stuck between the teeth. In addition to this, is it imperative to eat a healthy diet low in sugar and trans fats. Sugar can lead to tooth decay, especially if the teeth are not brushed afterward. Another dietary recommendation for healthy teeth is calcium-rich foods like dairy, which helps maintain the health of the jaw bones.

At Ideal Endodontics, we care about your dental health. Our kind and compassionate professionals are dedicated to improving your dental health and can help you make healthful choices that prevent oral disease. We have two locations: one in Washington, DC, and one in Woodbridge, VA. Residents of Washington can contact us book an appointment, or visit our clinic located at 1145 19th Street NW, Suite 314, Washington, DC 20036. Residents of Woodbridge can call (571) 444-8977 to book an appointment, or visit our clinic at 3102 Golansky Blvd, Suite 101, Woodbridge, VA 22192. We serve patients from Washington DC, Woodbridge VA, Arlington VA, Lorton VA, Manassas VA, Springfield VA, Alexandria VA, and Silver Spring MD. We look forward to serving you!