One in 5 U.S. adults ages 20 to 64 have at least one untreated cavity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While there may be a lot of reasons this happens, it doesn’t help that dental care isn’t exactly affordable. A report from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute found 13 percent of people don’t get routine dental care because of the cost, compared with just 4 to 5 percent for other health care services.
It could also be because people just don’t like going to the dentist. More than 70 percent of people report some dental fear, with more than a quarter experiencing severe issues, according to a survey in the Journal of the American Dental Association. And about 30 percent of those people who are scared of dental care avoid getting treatment.
But taking care of your oral health is important because it’s connected to other health issues. Plus, doing so doesn’t always require a trip to the dentist. It could mean simply drinking more water or adding other small habits to your routine.
The link between oral health and overall health
Research has linked various oral health problems with a number of other health conditions, including a higher risk of depression, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Type 2 diabetes and dementia. In one study including over 5,000 older adults, worse oral health was associated with a higher chance of dying of any cause over a 15-year period.
So far, there are only hypotheses as to why these associations exist, not data suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship, said Ada Cooper, a consumer advisor spokesperson for the American Dental Association with a private dental practice in New York City.
The first hypothesis is that gum disease and cavities both involve inflammation in the mouth, which might increase inflammation in the bloodstream and all around the body. The second is that bacteria in the mouth might enter the bloodstream and affect other areas of the body, contributing to disease.
Some of the conditions linked with dental health reveal interesting associations. A few go in both directions. For example, poorly managed diabetes can increase the risk of oral infections, and gum disease can make blood sugar more difficult to manage.
Others may share underlying causes. For example, research suggests there may be a shared inflammatory pathway that triggers a similar immune response to certain oral bacteria involved in both rheumatoid arthritis and gum disease, Cooper said.
But until more research is done, it’s impossible to know what really explains these links. “Even though these relationships between oral disease and systemic conditions manifest, it’s possible that these connections may be based on other factors,” Cooper said. For example, people who smoke cigarettes have an increased risk of both oral health problems and heart disease. But the common denominator could be smoking, not dental health, she said.
Or take depression: People with this mental health condition are less likely to go to the dentist, research suggests, which in turn ups the risk of untreated cavities or dental disease. Depression is also associated with higher rates of smoking and eating a lot of sugar, both of which can be harmful to oral health.
Medications that are used to treat depression can also reduce saliva, which increases the risk of cavities, said Amar Sabharwal, a board-certified periodontist in London, Ontario, who has written research on the link between oral health and overall health.
And if you’re not taking care of your dental health to the point where it causes you chronic pain or you’ve lost teeth, that could affect your self-image issues and contribute to depression, Cooper said.
How to stay on top of your dental health
Even in the face of these associations, dental health care can easily end up at the very bottom of the long list of things you’re supposed to do every day to take care of yourself.
Cooper stressed the importance of seeing your dentist regularly, even if you don’t have any pain or other concerns about your oral health. “Regular dental visits will help spot dental health problems really early on, before pain arises, when the treatment is simpler and more affordable than it might otherwise be,” she said. “Even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still have dental health problems that a dentist can diagnose and treat early, before pain develops.”
How often you see your dentist depends on your individual situation. Some people stay healthy with one or two visits a year, while others go more frequently. “Your dentist will advise you on the most appropriate time period for treatment, for cleanings, for exams, depending upon your own health,” Cooper said.
If paying for dental care is a concern, look into affordable treatment options, such as:
- Dental schools, which may offer reduced rates. You can search a directory of schools near you here.
- Nonprofit events, which may offer reduced rates or even free care. You can search a list of upcoming events here.
- Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which provide dental services on sliding scales based on income. You can search for FQHCs near you here.
- Some dentists offer membership plans in which you pay a set dollar amount each year to cover certain treatments, no insurance necessary.
If you already have crowns, bridges or dental implants, make sure you’re cleaning them as recommended to “improve the effectiveness of at-home oral care,” Sabharwal said.
If something does hurt, don’t ignore it. “If you’re in pain, you really should see a dentist right away,” said Cooper. “Your teeth shouldn’t ever hurt. Your gums shouldn’t ever bleed. Your gums shouldn’t ever swell. These are all signs that something is wrong.”
Pain in or around your teeth can be a sign of infected tissue in a tooth or the gums. “Ignoring a toothache can allow a localized infection to progress to a point where a tooth cannot be saved and must be extracted,” Sabharwal said.
“More importantly, teeth connect with deeper areas in the head and neck region, and the spread of infection from the teeth into these deeper areas can result in severe complications, such as the compromise of the airway or infection leading to the brain,” Sabharwal said.
In addition, adding these daily habits to your routine can help you take good care of your dental health at home:
- Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush, to prevent gum recession.
- Clean between your teeth at least once a day with floss or another interdental cleaner.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Chew sugar-free gum (unless you have crowns, which might be dislodged by chewing gum, or braces) to stimulate saliva production for 20 minutes after meals.
- Cut back on added sugar in foods and drinks such as sodas, cereal, candy and baked goods.
- Limit snacking. Little nibbles between meals don’t stimulate as much saliva production, meaning more food may get stuck in your mouth and contribute to cavities.
- Wait 30 to 60 minutes to brush your teeth if you eat something acidic. After consuming citrus fruits, wine, vinegar or something carbonated, rinse your mouth out with water instead of brushing, which could further damage your teeth.
Together, these behaviors can help keep you healthy from head to toe. “Your mouth is a window into the rest of your body,” Cooper said. “You just can’t be healthy without good oral hygiene and good oral health.”
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