My Journey With Health And Fitness – Dental Health

I was out shopping with my husband and while I was waiting for him I saw my reflection in a window. My husband asked me if something was wrong and I said it’s just that I am always shocked at how thin my legs look when I see them in a reflection but if I just look down at them they still seem really large to me. Yes, he rolled his eyes at me because he doesn’t get that it will likely take me years to stop seeing myself as the short, fat chick but I keep working on it.

When I was in elementary school a couple times a year a bus would take some of us to a university in Vancouver to have dental work done. The kids that went were usually from low income families which on reflection put a stigma about dental care into my head as I was one of the kids that was on that bus. Years later I would stop going to the dentists because of that stigma though I am happy that I haven’t missed a 6 month appointment now in 20 years. Still, dental health is not something that has really been on my radar.

In case you didn’t know your mouth is full of bacteria. This can be minimized by daily brushing and flossing but it is still there. In addition, oral health may contribute to a number of health conditions such as endocarditis (infection of the inner lining of your heart chambers or valves), cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and birth complications and pneumonia or other respiratory diseases. As well, diseases such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s might further negatively impact your oral health.

But there are things that you can do to protect your oral health including brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, eat a healthy diet with minimal sugary foods and drinks, avoiding tobacco use, replacing your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months and getting regular dental checkups and cleanings. Yes, this is quite a list but really these are not big items that you can do to maintain your dental health.

I admit this is really not something I had spent a lot of time thinking about. However, at my last cleaning my hygienist noticed that my gums were starting to deteriorate which is not uncommon as we age. And so, I decided it was time to include my dental health as part of my overall health and fitness journey. This has meant I have been extremely diligent about brushing and flossing more frequently. Ok, I admit like many people I didn’t floss anywhere near as much as I should have but now it is at least once a day (often twice a day because I can’t be certain if I had already done it or not). This hasn’t been a difficult change to make but one I am hoping will make a difference.

I guess overall it is just about approaching health and fitness as a holistic journey which is now what I am trying to do.