TREAT YOUR TEETH LIKE YOU’D TREAT A PORSCHE 911

A neighbour recently bought a new car. Every Saturday, he’s outside washing, waxing and polishing. It’s immaculate. It’s a beautiful car.

You know what not’s beautiful? His breath!

“I keep forgetting”, “It’s not important”, “I use chewing gum”, “It makes me feel in control”, “I swill my mouth out with mouth wash”, “I brushed last week”. These are the most common excuses men use to not brush their teeth. Would you treat your car like that? Let’s take a simple oil change – “I keep forgetting.” “It’s not important.” “I use cooking oil.”

I have one question:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T CHANGE THE OIL IN YOUR CAR?

Pretty soon, it’ll be sitting on bricks, unusable and rusting away, right?

Treat your teeth like that and soon they’ll be sitting in a glass of water on your bedside table.

Brushing and flossing are exactly the same as getting an oil change, checking the water and brake fluid. Sending your car in for a regular service is the same as regularly visiting your dentist.

It’s time to start a new health regime – think of it as gym for your teeth. Brush and floss your teeth every day. Your teeth, gums, health, not to mention significant other, will thank you!

“Do I have to brush and floss?”

“Do you have to change the oil and the brake fluid?”

The 5 things that happen to you when you don’t take care of your teeth

1. Your breath stinks. Believe me, people do notice.
2. You will – not may, if or perhaps – get gum disease. Bacterial plaque and tartar, normally dealt with when you brush and floss, builds up on your teeth. Left untreated, they cause irreparable damage to your jawbone and support structures and leads to tooth loss. Hello dentures!
3. You can tell if you have gum disease if you have:

• Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
• Swollen, red or bleeding gums
• Receding gums. Most men suffer from a receding hairline, don’t let your gums recede as well!
• Teeth that become loose or are separating
• Visible pus around your teeth and gums

1. Oral and throat cancer. Once you turn 40, gum disease will put you at greater risk of developing oral cancer. Out of 43,000 people diagnosed annually with cancers of the mouth, tongue or throat area, 7000 will die from them. Brush, floss and visit the dentist – most oral cancers are first diagnosed during a routine dental checkup.
2. Men with bad oral hygiene very often also suffer from erectile dysfunction. A study by The Journal of Sexual Medicine [1] found that 53% of male participants had both severe gum disease and erectile dysfunction.  Both are caused by inflammation resulting from gum disease. Surely, it’s easier to take care of your teeth rather than have that conversation?

If you won’t take care of your teeth for anyone else, do it for yourself. Book an appointment with your dentist or call Team Dental today!