The mouth is the gateway to our body and should be looked after. Good oral health can help live a longer, healthier life. Who would not want that?
-by Dr Syeda Rehma Hasan
All we have to do is start valuing our mouth, which motivates us to maintain oral hygiene. We should promise to prioritize our oral health and realize how significant it is in the overall well-being.
Your mouth creating first impressions the lasting ones
Creating a lasting impression can be quite a feat. Our smile is usually one of the first things that others notice about us. Unaesthetic teeth, coupled with a foul smell, can act as a human repellant. We spend so long trying to dress up, paying little attention to our oral hygiene. If only we knew how badly mouth odour could tarnish our reputation. Therefore, if some of the attention could be directed to having a clean mouth, it would benefit us in the long run. Achieving a healthy smile is not impossible, but it sure takes some work!
Oral health: A reflection of the general health
Health is wealth. Everyone makes regular visits to their doctor, but how many of us show the same enthusiasm for dental appointments? The answer is rather disappointing because most people do not see a dentist until they are in pain. Oral problems can range from dental caries to more serious ones, such as edentulism or even life-threatening mouth cancers. How could one expect to have a healthy body if the mouth is not in a good state? The oral cavity is comparable to a port of entry and is key to keeping fit.
Oral disease and quality of life
Both these factors are known to share an inverse relationship. The disease can significantly diminish the quality of life, leading to significant consequences. These are not limited to just the functional effects but also the emotional and social ones. Having oral condition limits food choices, thus affecting the ability to enjoy meals. This may negatively impact one’s social life. It may even lead to sleep deprivation in case of excruciating pain. Not just dental disease but the treatment experience itself paints a bleak picture.
Celebrating oral health
A balanced and healthy lifestyle is the way to go and reflects in all spheres of life. Brushing your teeth twice a day is essential to maintaining a healthy mouth. In addition to that, visits to the dentist are incalculably important. These are habits that need to be incorporated from a young age. As part of society, we have to spread awareness regarding oral health to benefit from it. Poor dental health is not just heavy on the pocket but the mind as well. Our mouth should be a haven, not a battlefield. Therefore, good health is worth fighting for, and every effort towards achieving it counts.
– The author is a contributing writer and Canadian correspondent at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at rehmahasan@gmail.com
