Wednesday, June 18, 2014

True or False? Men have better oral health care habits than women

Yesterday, on our Facebook page we posed a question, how did you do?  

True or False - Men are more likely than women to have visited the dentist in the last year?

The answer?  FALSE!  Were you right?

DentalPlans.com posted an article this week citing the main reasons why women are in the lead when it comes to better oral health care habits.

We would like to highlight some of the points shared from new research found in the Journal of Periodontology. The top reason that women exceed men in oral hygiene is because they are proactive.  They stay on top of their oral hygiene at home, and keep regular dental visits; whereas, men typically visit the dentist only when there are obvious problems, or cosmetic issues that need to be addressed.

Statistically speaking, women also brush more often than men.  Because of this, men lose an average of 5 to 12 more teeth than women before the age of 72.  The higher range of tooth loss is directly associated with smoking. Because more men smoke, they are also at a greater risk for throat, tongue, and other mouth cancers.

The fact that more men are on medications that reduce the saliva production in the mouth, such as heart and high-blood pressure pills, the bacteria that causes cavities is more abundant, and with reduced oral health care, the results are rarely positive. 

Although the statistics favor women in this battle of the mouth, they are not all conclusive; they are subject to change with the implementation of simple, daily habits.

Dr. Clark has some very effective cavity prevention treatments that really make the difference in your overall hygiene care.  Please call us today to schedule a free consultation, and find the answers that can change your oral healthcare future.


For a free consultation, call:
(541) 451-1440