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Why Dental Hygiene Is Important

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Why is Oral Hygiene so Important? When most people think of brushing and flossing, they think about a healthy bright smile, little do they realize that proper oral hygiene is a major way to help maintain good overall health. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to become a dentist or an orthodontist. I spent a lot of time in the dentist office and because of that, it sparked an interest that has stuck by my side. When it comes to brushing, not only are you getting a fresher, brighter smile, you are helping keep your body healthy. Taking two minutes to brush your teeth, a minute to floss, and 30 seconds to brush your tongue will pay off in the long run. Dr. Pete Richards did some studies and studies showed that “women with gum …show more content…

You can develop gum disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia, respiratory infections, and diabetic complications from not taking good care of your teeth. Gum disease is inflammation of the gums, which affects the bone that surrounds and supports the teeth. Eventually if you do not take care of your teeth now, you can develop gingivitis, periodontitis and more advanced periodontics. Willie Pena from Colgate mentions some signs and symptoms of gum disease. Some of the signs are “swollen, red, tender or bleeding gums, gums that recede or move away from the tooth, and persistent bad breath or bad taste in mouth” (Pena, 2013). Ways you can prevent gum disease is taking care of your teeth sooner, rather than later. A more severe disease you can develop from not brushing and flossing your teeth is cardiovascular disease, which is heart disease. Pena mentions “the bacteria from inflammation of the gums and periodontal disease can enter your bloodstream and travel to the arteries in the heart and cause atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)” (Pena, 2013). Atherosclerosis causes plaque to build up on the walls of the arteries that can thicken over time, which decreases or even block blood flow throughout the body causing a heart attack or stroke. Pena also mentions that you can also develop dementia from “the bacteria from gingivitis may enter the

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