Never take your oral health lightly, as studies have proven that men will likely not take care of their teeth than women, making them more prone to gum diseases, develop oral or throat cancer — and even lose all their teeth when they turn 72 years old. That’s why establishing appropriate oral healthcare practices is crucial.
The benefits of good oral health are endless. Here are tips that can help men efficiently maintain optimal oral health.
Visit Your Dentist and Get Dental Exams — Regularly
Regularly seeing a dentist can help address problems before becoming worse. Some people require wisdom teeth surgery or removal because food and bacteria get trapped around the wisdom tooth, causing an excess buildup of plaque. All these lead to tooth decay, gums disease, and pericoronitis, or when plaque causes an infection of the soft tissue surrounding the wisdom tooth.
Additionally, having regular dentist appointments can prevent several oral health issues, including heart disease, gingivitis, and tooth loss. Ideally, men should have dental check-ups, including routine cleanings and X-rays every six months.
Don’t Forget to Floss
Not many people understand the importance of flossing, which is just as important as brushing your teeth. Flossing helps you remove food particles and plaque that often gets stuck between teeth where toothbrushes don’t reach. Men should floss at least once every day, maximizing their oral health while lowering their risk of developing gum disease. If you have a child, it’s best to encourage kids to floss every day while still young, helping them make this essential practice a regular habit.
Never Skip Brushing Your Teeth
On average, men brush their pearly whites only once every day, meaning many fail to meet the ‘good’ oral hygiene recommendation — twice a day. Besides brushing your teeth two times a day, make sure to use a soft-bristled brush, replace toothbrushes every three to four months, brush at a 45-degree angle following short strokes.
If you’re a parent, encourage your boys to brush at least twice every day, during the morning and before going to bed.
Be Mindful of What You Eat
A surprising way of ensuring optimal oral health is by following a proper diet or watching out for what you eat in general. Doing this helps you prevent cavities while creating the foundation for good oral hygiene in any person of any age. Eating certain foods help fight cavities by preventing excess plaque buildup. Teeth-friendly foods and drinks include but aren’t limited to fruits, vegetables, unflavored Greek yogurt, cheese, green or black tea, and calcium-rich dairy substitutes.
Meanwhile, foods and beverages that you should avoid eating are stick candies, soft bread, potato chips, sodas or any sugary drink, and all sweets in general.
Avoid Smoking at All Costs
Smoking is a bad habit that affects most aspects of your health, significantly boosting your risk for developing oral health issues, such as oral cancer, gum disease, and tooth loss. In fact, studies have shown that smoking doubles tooth loss risks in men by the age of 72. On average, men who don’t smoke can lose around 5.4 of their teeth by that age, while smokers can lose 12.
Additionally, poor oral health due to excessive smoking is associated with several health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Teeth staining may also happen in smokers’ mouths, taking a massive toll on the quality of a man’s smile.
Taking care of your teeth is relatively simple. As long as you brush every day, floss regularly — and of the practices mentioned, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to sport your dashing smile and pearly whites for many years to come.
