Recent studies have indicated that only one in nine adults in the United States with Medicare also has dental insurance. The adults that do not have dental insurance may not have had a dental checkup in several years, and those with dental insurance could be delaying their dental checkup for unknown reasons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that 27 percent of adults aged 20-44 years and 17 percent of children aged 5-19 years have untreated dental issues (cdc.gov, 2016).
The unfortunate part is that many people finally commit to a dental checkup when there is a problem that could have been prevented if it had been caught early. For example, gingivitis and tooth decay can be prevented or limited with proper dental attention. Dental health can have a severe impact on a person’s overall health by affecting their ability to speak, eat, and swallow. Good, strong teeth help people breakdown food and process the right kinds of food, and without teeth people are more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies. Also, bacteria in the mouth can cause a person’s throat to become inflamed, disrupting a person’s ability to swallow and ingest any medications that are required to remain healthy or recover from an illness. Essentially, having regular dental checkups can help a person avoid these types of conditions. That is why at Foothill Dental Care in Livermore we aim to educate our patients on the importance of positive oral hygiene and how to maintain it. Schedule an appointment by calling our Livermore office at (925) 961-5484 today.
When dental issues become so bad that a person has no choice but to visit the orthodontist, dental issues can begin to affect other parts of their lives by physically impacting the surrounding areas, causing headaches, soreness in the mouth and neck, and additional stress from the pressure of the condition. In fact, much of the bacteria caused by tooth decay has the potential to cause pneumonia and emphysema based on how a person inhales these harmful bacteria, which can live and grow in the lungs. Of course, this is an extreme case of poor dental hygiene, but a situation like this can become increasingly prevalent in elderly patients, as their bodies are more susceptible to tooth decay and respiratory conditions. This is exactly why having regular dental checkups is so important.
If it’s been over six months since your last dental checkup, then the time is now. Call Foothill Dental Care in Livermore at (925) 961-5484 to schedule an appointment today.