Identifying the Greatest Threats to Your Oral Health

Let’s accept the reality for once; we know how crucial maintaining oral health is for our overall wellbeing yet, for most of us, it comes at the bottom of the priority list.
We all want to have the sparkling teeth, bright smile, and fresh breath, but only few of us actually make effort to achieve and maintain them.
It’s surprising to know that despite increased awareness about general health maintenance and oral care, a large number of people still do not follow even the basic oral care practices.
Majority of the people (including those who regularly brush their teeth) do not floss and only 1/3rd of Americans visit a dentist on regular basis.
Shocking, isn’t it?
As a result, many people not only lose that beautiful smile that was once their best accessory, but also suffer from various diseases.
Research tells us that about 47.2% of people who 30 years of age or older suffer from periodontal disease (plaque buildup and bacteria are the main causes of periodontal disease). Not to talk about many other serious diseases (including but not limited to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s lung diseases, dementia, stroke, etc) poor oral health could lead to.

In addition to regular and proper cleaning and visiting a certified dentist, certain practices and lifestyle factors also play a great role in achieving and maintaining oral health.
The good news is that majority of oral health issues can easily be prevented. Following are some of the greatest and the most prevalent threats to our teeth and gums so, make sure to stay away from them if you do not want to end up with oral health issues.

This comes as no surprise. It is a common knowledge that consuming too much sugar can be really bad for your oral health. But, have you ever wondered why sugar is so bad for your teeth and gums?
It serves as food for bacteria and as a result allows them to grow and multiply. All these bacteria then produce harmful acid that ultimately leads to various gum diseases and cavities.

Tobacco is another greatest threat to oral health. Consuming tobacco not only affects the appearance of teeth and causes bad breath, but also causes damage to enamel and destroy gum tissues that leads to sensitivity and tooth decay. Also, tobacco greatly increases the chances of developing mouth cancer.
Anything That Causes Dry Mouth
Saliva is our best natural defense against many oral problems. It not only keeps our mouth moistened and prevents plaque buildup, but also prevents the food particles from sticking to teeth and gums. In short, saliva naturally keeps many oral problems at bay. Therefore, anything that affects the production of saliva (functioning of salivary glands) can seriously affect our oral health.