3 minute read
When the Masks Come Off
Written by Expert Contributor Georges P. Martin, DMD, Marple Dental, Inc.
Most people would agree that there is nothing more important in life than good health. Maintaining good health requires self-care that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, good physical and dental hygiene, as well as professional care, with timely visits to your physician, dentist, optometrist, etc.
Nationally, across all health professions, there has been a dramatic decline in routine healthcare visits, and an increase in the severity of illness due to deferred treatment. This is particularly true with respect to making regular visits to your healthcare professionals for preventive checkups.
The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is as true for your overall physical well being as it is for your dental health. When circumstances prevent you from maintaining yourself in the preventive phase of dental care, you will eventually need to seek professional help for the treatment phase. The two most powerful motivators to seek dental treatment are discomfort and embarrassment.
Discomfort:
Pain or discomfort when eating is typically the result of long-term problems, and is a powerful motivator to seek dental care.
Embarrassment:
While important social events such as weddings or job hunting may eventually motivate patients to seek treatment, many people intentionally hide visible dental problems by growing concealing facial hair or using their hand to cover their mouths when talking and laughing.
Mask wearing in public settings has played an unexpected role in patients deferring dental treatment due to the ability to conceal visible dental problems. The phrase “Thankfully, you can’t see it with my mask on” is heard with alarming regularity. Just as loose winter clothing can help hide unwanted weight gain, face coverings can hide embarrassing dental issues such as lost or broken teeth or bad breath from untreated cavities or gum disease. As we all know, hiding a problem does not make it go away, and the longer you wait, the worse it will get.
Eventually though, as life returns to normal, the need for masking will pass. So the best advice is to keep those teeth healthy: brush, floss and see your dentist twice a year so that when the masks come off, you’ll be ready to face the world.
Dr. Georges P. Martin, DMD
MARPLE DENTAL
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
www.MarpleDental.com
610-359-8181
office@MarpleDental.com
2004 Sproul Road, Suite 304, Broomall
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We Offer: Cosmetic and preventive dentistry, smile whitening, Implant restoration, tooth replacement and denture solutions to meet the needs of your entire family.
