Take care of your teeth to stay healthy

Everyone wants a beautiful smile, but a healthy mouth means so much more than just pearly white teeth. And your dentist does so much more than just make sure your smile looks great.

There are more than 100 medical conditions that your dentist could catch during a routine dental exam. There are the more obvious gum and mouth conditions, but there are also other medical issues that may come to light during your visit, like high blood pressure or diabetes, says Dr. David Guarrera, dentist and vice president of MetLife’s dental division.

“Your dentist is like any other health care provider,” Guarrera says. “They are in tune with many health care conditions.”

How Often Should You Go?

Like much of the health care world, dental care has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Advances in procedures, equipment, technology and medicines have meant advances in dental care, which can even how much care you need. There is no hard and fast rule for how often you should visit the dentist.

“It was in vogue for 50 or 60 years to go every six months, and that is still the norm, but some people need to go more often if they have a chronic condition, while other healthy individuals may only need to go once a year,” Guarrera says.

You should work with your dentist to schedule preventive dental exams. While frequency of visits may vary from person to person, preventive care is especially important for your teeth.

“A small problem with your teeth or gums can become a fairly big problem rapidly,” Guarrera says.

Dental Care for Kids

Over the years, the guideline for when children should have their first dentist visit has also changed.

“We look at the first visit by 12 months of age,” Guarrera says. “The dentist starts to look at how the mouth and gums are progressing in terms of the oral cavity and how the jaw is developing. And by that time, they are usually cutting their first teeth.”

One way you can introduce your child to the dentist is to take them along on one of your routine visits. Guarrera says that by observing a parent interact with the dentist, children will feel more at ease for their own visits.

It’s important to help kids feel comfortable at the dentist, as proper oral care is important early on in life and can help prevent tooth decay, Guarrera says.

Children usually receive their first sealants after their first molars come in, but they need to continue visits through high school and early college—when they’re not thinking about good nutrition and dental care.

Another important issue arising in dental care is the increase in the amount of bottled water children are drinking, Guarrera says. Bottled water contains little to no fluoride, something children might need more of in their diets. There are other ways to get fluoride in your diet, though.

“Children aren’t consuming fluoride-treated water like they did in the past, so they need to eat things like green leafy veggies and use fluoride toothpaste,” Guarrera says.

Know Your Benefits

Visits to the dentist become even more important as one ages, Guarrera says.

“Fifty-percent of people over age 35 have some form of gum disease, and that increases with age,” he says. “And as they age, they may become more neglectful of dental care, when it actually becomes more important.”

As an adult, understanding and using dental benefits play a vital role in dental care.

“People with dental coverage are twice as likely to receive good dental care than those without dental coverage,” Guarrera says. “It’s important to keep you healthy. (Benefits) can not only save you money, but they can save your teeth.”