Top 3 Oral Health Facts for Men
By: Dr. Amy See
At my practice, we usually recommend that our patients visit us at least two times a year for their dental check-ups and cleaning. While most of our patients are great about coming-in for their routine cleanings, we have noticed that there is a difference in this behavior between our male and female patients. Not to say that this a unique occurrence only in my dental office. Because research shows that there is actually a nation-wide trend that women are more likely to maintain regular dental check-ups compared to men. On the other hand, men tend to not make appointments to see their dentist regularly for routine cleanings and check-ups, and will usually only go when they experience a serious problem.
Why Are Having Regular Dentist Appointments So Important?
What most men may not realize is that preventive dental care is important because it will prevent future medical emergencies and catastrophic dental failures. Regular dental check-ups and cleanings are where your dentist will be able to catch any potential issues you are not aware of. But if you decide to procrastinate since you are not experiencing any pain or discomfort at the moment, this is commonly where your hidden underlying dental issue will become a much bigger problem and will require intensive, painful, and expensive dental treatment. By choosing to skip your regular visits to your dentist, you are placing yourself at risk for the following serious and dangerous oral health problems.
Serious Health Issues that Occurs from Skipping Your Regular Dental Check-ups:
Higher Rate of Gum Disease. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), 34% of men between the ages of 30-54 have gum disease compared to 23% of women in the same age range. But gum disease is more than just an oral health concern. If you leave it untreated, it may lead to other whole-body health problems like heart disease, certain types of cancer, and respiratory disease.
Greater Need for Advanced Dental Care. When you neglect the health of your mouth, the potential problems are left to fester and become worse over time. This in turn increases your likelihood of having to pay for expensive dental treatment down the road. High levels of tooth decay and infection usually mean you will need to receive a painful root canal and/or dental crown. But if it’s really advanced and bad enough, you will experience teeth loss. When teeth are lost or extracted, they are gone forever because your body is unable to reproduce your teeth. The only way to fix this problem is to have a replacement with either expensive dental bridges, dentures, or dental implants.
Double the Risk for Oral Cancer. Studies show that men are at twice the risk of developing oral cancer than women. This may be in part because men tend to use more tobacco products than women. It’s important for your dentist to be able to detect oral cancer early on because it can usually be treated successfully. However, if you avoid your regular dental appointments, this means the early signs of cancer will not be caught in time. And if left untreated, oral cancer will spread to other parts of your body and you will eventually experience a lot of pain and even death.
So whatever the reason may be that men aren’t going to the dentist as regularly as women, the fact remains that regular dental care is important for everyone. Not only does prevention help keep smiles healthy, but it will also help keep your whole body healthy too.
If it’s been awhile since your last dental check-up and cleaning and would like an appointment, give us a call at (919) 562-8200 to schedule an appointment.