A white smile is a coveted feature as the device can convey confidence and a commitment to dental health. Even someone devoted to practicing dental care and visiting the dentist can still experience dental problems. Depending on the dental issue, seeking professional dental care is a must, as some dental problems can eventually kill you if left unchecked.

Most dental problems start off innocently enough as tooth decay, cavities or the early stages of gum disease (called gingivitis). Those conditions can certainly be uncomfortable and cause toothaches to those afflicted with the dental problems. However, when left unchecked, diminished oral health can lead to a myriad of health conditions some of which can be the final nail in your coffin.

Dental Abscesses, a Known Killer

A dental cavity is when oral bacteria erode teeth, leaving holes and tooth damage that can only be remedied with dental treatments and dental fillings. When the problem is caught in its earliest stages professional dental care and a couple of hundred bucks will act as preventative dentistry to treat the problem and nip it in the bud. However, when left unchecked oral bacteria can thrive, deposit an excess of dental plaque that will fill the void caused by the tooth decay. The result can be a dental abscess that will negatively impact the entire dental chamber and potentially destroy gum, bone and lead to near death experiences or even one’s final breath on earth.

Dental abscesses killed 12-year-old Deamonte Driver in 2007. Driver was a happy, but poverty stricken child suffering with dental problems. Complications associated with his Medicaid coverage limited his access to preventative and restorative dental care for the issue. As a result, he was forced to postpone getting oral care and as time progressed, so did the oral infection stemming from his abscessed tooth. Within weeks, Driver eventually fell quite ill and while he received of emergency care to treat the symptoms of his condition, the abscess was left untouched and cost him his life.

Gum Disease Can Lead to Heaven’s Door

A healthy smile can be determined by white teeth and pink gums. However if gum tissue becomes red, inflamed or bleeding, gum disease may be present and can up the odds of a premature passing.

Estimates suggest that nearly 75 percent of all adults are unknowingly walking around with some type of gum disease. The oral condition is caused by a chronic bacterial infection. In its earliest stages, the condition is called gingivitis and as it advances it can develop into full-blown periodontal disease. The condition is the largest cause of adult tooth loss (in a best case scenario) and can cause death (worst case scenario).

During any stage of its development, gum disease is triggered by an excess of dental plaque or dental tartar. Those compounds not only cause oral complications, but can also enter the bloodstream of the infected. Once that occurs, the odds of inflammation increase as well of the chances of having either astroke or a heart attack. It is because of those unfortunate side effects of gum disease that the condition can kill you.

Oral Cancer, Kills 8,000 Americans Annually

There was a time when smoking was thought to be glamorous and three-martini lunches were the norm. Now, people know how these two vices (among with natural causes such as the infection of the Human papillomavirus (HPV)) can negatively impact dental health and contribute to oral cancer. When it comes to the latter, thousands die annually because they simply ignore the telltale signs of the disease or when it is finally discovered, the disease has already spread throughout the rest of the body.

When visible, oral cancer looks like a tiny white or red spot in the mouth. Anyone who notices the tiny infliction are advised to visit a dentist stat in order to receive proper diagnosis and treatments for the condition. The longer cancer is ignored, the greater the odds of the disease taking over, spreading and killing the afflicted.

No matter what type of dental problem you are experiencing, seeing a dentist now can truly make the difference between life and death. If you are looking to prolong your date with the Grim Reaper, then 0900-DENTIST can help you.