Can Good Dental health increase your Life Expectancy?

Having good teeth is a priority for many Australians for obvious reasons. Chewing your food in comfort, avoiding bad breath, and being able to smile with confidence are benefits easy to appreciate. But an accumulating body of evidence is emerging about the links between poor dental health (in particular gum disease) and the development and severity of many diseases. The link between Heart Disease and oral health has been well established over the last 20 years of research, but we now know that poor oral health can also worsen the side-effects of Diabetes, and can make the disease harder to control. Unfortunately it doesn't stop there, because poor oral health also increases the incidence and severity of Pneumonia and other Respiratory Diseases, and is also associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Kidney Disease and even Oral Cancer just to name a few. So what's the good news? Regular professional dental treatment can reduce the chance of developing gum disease and poor oral health, which is associated with these other conditions. So if you want along and healthy life, looking after you teeth and gums is a great place to start.

Your twenties can be the best years of your life. You've fled the nest where your parents kept you on the straight and narrow and now you can do as you please. You're free to indulge without the burden of responsibility, and no-one is on your back about looking after yourself. But once you get a better job, marriage, mortgage, maybe a dog, and a family the burden of responsibility settles back on your shoulders. Maybe you aren't as invincible as you were when you were in your 20's and could drink till 1am and still get up for work at 8am the next day. Unfortunately during those carefree years in your 20's your dental health can take a back seat to other more pressing concerns, and the indulgence of a youthful lifestyle can take its toll on your dental health. Often if you've left it for a few years, thinking that if you have no pain then things surely should be fine, dental disease can be silently destroying your teeth and gums. Remember that many dental diseases are entirely preventable, and much easier when treated early. A comprehensive dental examination before it is too late, is not difficult or expensive and is the best way to ensure you're keeping your teeth safe.