Of course, some “cheap” Seattle dentists stay true to their claims of being the “best” and the “most affordable” professionals in their industry– but as a logical consumer, you’d likely be getting testimonials from other people if the dentist you’re planning to visit lives up to his/her statements. A lot of dentists – for the sake of serving more patients every day – tend to loosen up a little and hasten their dealings with patients, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of any dental procedure.

And, of course – the more competition, the better – right? Head on to these dentist-crowded districts, streets, and avenues in Seattle and you’ll be surprised to know that really – finding a cheap dentists isn’t all that hard:

1.       Olive Way

2.       South Main Street

3.       6^th Avenue

4.       Central Business District

5.       9^th Avenue

6.       Queen Anne Avenue

7.       5^th Avenue

8.       W. McGraw St.

9.       Pike Street

10.   Madison Street

Of course, compared to other cities, Seattle businesses have a penchant for charging patients above-average dental fees, but the quality f the service though – is remarkably better since Seattle has a reputation for prioritizing health services more than anything else.

Seattle has also built a solid reputation for grooming the best dental specialists: orthodontists, periodontists, cosmetic dentists, endodontists, prosthodontists, and general dentists in Seattle are highly-acclaimed compared to dentists in other states. Cosmetic dentistry has also been a blooming career path for most dentists in Seattle.  So, finding a dentist outside of Seattle would be illogical, if you are considering a top-notch dental procedure to be done on your teeth/gums/mouth. The best dentists are city dentists, hands down.

Finding the most affordable Seattle dentist is made easier through the internet. Dentists have been advertising on the internet longer than you would think, and it’s no surprise that you’d see a lot of “cheap Seattle dentist” advertisements popping up whenever you search Google. Our advice: be judicious. Claims can be deceiving. Also, rely on firsthand testimonials from people you actually know. A lot of dentists have only a limited area of specialization. Some may not have extensive experience on installing dental appliances like braces and veneers. However, for the most part – get dental insurance. In any case, dental insurance is your best friend – especially if you make the most out of its coverage.

Toothpaste does the job of helping the toothbrush scrape off the films of bacterial plaque that have latched on to our teeth. Typical toothpaste’s main agents or “active ingredients” are fluoride, triclosan, baking soda, and xylitol. The combined forces of these five main ingredients give our teeth a deep clean, a white luster and a fresh feel after thorough brushing. And over the years, more and more ingredients have been added to the usual toothpaste formula, like allantoin, ginseng and seaweed extracts, and a variety of herbal oils. These ingredients do serve a practical purpose, as they help strengthen both the tooth enamel and the gums.

There is no doubt fluoride helps strengthen our teeth and eliminate bacteria-producing acids. But high amounts of fluoride can detriment the teeth. Too much fluoride intake, especially on children below 12 years old, can cause enamel fluorosis, a condition that is marked by discoloration on the teeth. Although too much fluoride may have its cons, the benefits overweigh the threats. Only few cases of fluorosis have been recorded and fortunately, they have only been mild ones. The fluoridation of the water supply in the United States has brought about critical reviews on whether or not America needs it. And to our surprise, the children do need it because cases of cavities and tartar on children below 10 years old have significantly decreased in the last decade.

Going back to the topic on toothpastes, did you know that toothpastes are actually abrasive substances? Abrasive means intended for scraping, so it’s actually pure cleaning material that you’re brushing your teeth with and not just some overhyped gel.

Toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors. The once dull taste of toothpaste has evolved into something more of a treat to both young and old people. The standard flavoring of toothpaste is spearmint, peppermint or just plain mint. There have also been other flavors that are intended for smaller children and people who cannot bear the taste of mint: bubble gum, cinnamon, tangerine, orange flavors; not to mention whisky and kinky flavors. Toothpaste still serves and continues to improve in its purpose of cleaning the teeth, despite all these years of modifications in the flavor. The stronger flavor actually makes up for the stronger active ingredients present in the gel.

There have been “natural toothpaste” varieties being sold in the market since the past decade or so, and a majority of these natural toothpastes abandon the use of fluoride and stuck with (obviously) all-natural ingredients like the extracts, mints, cleansing agents and the oils that were previously mentioned.

So if you’re looking for a change of taste in toothpaste, we say go for it. As long as the flavor you’re switching to is packed with all the active ingredients toothpaste should contain, your teeth are in safe hands.

Most American families are unaware of the health hazards common house staples and food pose to their children. Adding to the hazards are cheap toys that failed to meet quality control standards and ended up in the household because of an impulse buy at the grocery counter. What’s more interesting is how parents don’t realize that they are the ones poisoning their own children with the help of everyday staples and food. The facts in this article aren’t hard to swallow, and aren’t very shallow either. Always keep in mind that children do not have fully developed immune systems, so here goes:

1. Processed meat – nutritionist have long been warning households about the potential hazards of eating processed meat. But how bad could one hotdog be to your 8-year old boy? Well, fact is, mercury doesn’t even come close to all the bad chemicals (like sodium nitrite) a regular hamburger patty has. This means a person’s chances of getting intestinal cancer and leukemia are higher when eating processed meat. Think about it—processed… doesn’t it make you wonder on what procurements a simple slab of meat underwent before it gets packaged/canned. We’re not discouraging anyone from eating meat. In fact, eating meat helps us gain much-needed vitamins and minerals. But as parents, toning down our kids on processed food may just save them from any medical complications once they get older. Oh, and yes, this includes the all-time favorite bacon.

2. Sports drinks – colored water is all the rave these days, especially if a professional athlete endorses it. While some parents may pride their kids as athletic prodigies, they should keep their children away from sports drinks as early as possible. Peering at the contents of sports drinks alone gives you a clear idea of what’s inside the bottle: salt water, artificial sweeteners, food coloring. All these three substances are obviously bad for the teeth and digestive system. So unless it’s an electrolyte deficiency or dehydration your child is up against, just get him a pitcher of water after an exhaustive exercise and he’ll be fine.

3. Processed milk – you’re probably scratching your head right now, wondering “What on earth could be wrong with a carton of milk?” Well, beside all the unfiltered levels of chemicals a glass of processed milk has, the calcium-rich drink also undergoes a standardized process of “homogenization”, which in layman’s terms spells as “mutated milk fats.” Homogenization of milk fats is unsafe for the heart and therefore leads to premature cardiovascular diseases on children once they induce high volumes of processed milk.

4. Shampoo – you’ve heard it before. A bottle of shampoo is all one will ever need to keep every known poisonous chemical intact on the hair and scalp. And the ironic thing is, the more “anti-hair loss features” your shampoo has, the higher the chances of you getting skin cancer. Again, we’re not ruling out the possibility of NOT getting cancer with shampoo, but with moderate use of the product, you can get safer results not only for your hair, but also for your health as well.

Thoroughly cleaning our mouth is not a hype—it’s an activity most of us should adhere to if we want our bodies to function properly. A good sign of a healthy body is healthy teeth. Having healthy teeth gives the impression that we are choosy with what we eat. Notice that when we glance at someone, even how beautiful that person looks, if their teeth are yellow and their gums are black, we immediately get turned off one way or another.

Colgate has always been a proponent of the “Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body” campaign. They’ve published reports on how serious gum diseases have been linked to life-threatening medical illnesses, like cancer and diabetes. On the forefront of the issue are not their product advertisements, but their advocacy to keep the public informed on the hazards of not brushing our teeth.

What is the most distinct association between these the mouth and the rest of the body, anyway? For one, the mouth serves as the first stage where food gets grinded and sent to the esophagus. Mind you that the body reacts sensitively to unknown contaminants and substances that enter the body. If you happen to see any swelling on your gums and some new, unsightly stains on your teeth, it’s high time you consult both your dentist and your resident doctor as well. This might be the onset of a gum disease or tartar buildup: both of which are health-threatening dental conditions like periodontitis.

Brushing your teeth sounds like a good idea, and indeed it is. But to ensure maximum protection for your mouth, gums and teeth, you should also floss and mind the food that you eat. If you know that you are allergic to the food served on a platter, you better not eat it. If you also know that the food you’re about to eat is high in sugar or more than the quantity your body normally intakes, eat in moderation.

Recent studies have confirmed the link of periodontitis to cardiovascular diseases such as heart diseases and strokes, not to mention other systematic diseases like diabetes, cancer and hepatitis. It is a good start to live a healthy lifestyle while you’re young, or face the toll of wasteful living when you’ve reached a ripe age—an age some medical professionals consider as the point when even the strongest medications and surgeries fail to fix the problem.

The health of the gums is a very important factor to consider. Bleeding gums are most likely to be the catalyst of more serious health issues like periodontitis and cancer because of the instant contamination of the bloodstream when bacteria makes its way into the blood gushing from the gums.

Dental plaque may look harmless, but it’s just the same as having periodontitis, only patients with severe cases of hardened plaque, or “tartar” are also prone to various gum diseases, like as mentioned, periodontitis.

The common notion that a sudden attack of periodontitis sets in when one has diabetes is very true. Patients who have diabetes have the twice the risk of acquiring periodontitis if they do not take care of their dental health. And the rate of diabetes-induced periodontitis has accelerated levels of damage. Within a few months, the teeth may start falling off, because of the uncontrolled glucose levels of the body, leading to poor blood circulation to the gums.

Now, as a question of interest: Do you now believe that a healthy mouth equals a healthy body?

Be aware, be informed. View our other articles on dentistry and oral health.

A “simple” cigarette will utterly repel you if you knew all the chemicals and compounds it contains. A cigarette is no different from a can of pesticide solvent, a jug of toilet cleanser and formaldehyde (the stuff they inject into corpses in the morgue). Knowing these would disgust the average non-smoking person, but for the people who relentlessly smoke, this isn’t enough to force them out of their destructive habits. For men, smoking is a manly thing and a good pastime; for women, it’s a way to express their liberal antics: to show the world what a “real woman” is capable of. But to tell you frankly, living a healthy life is manlier and sexier than doing the bad stuff. Why? Because healthy people are often the most productive of the bunch. They can do whatever they want, whenever they want without worrying too much.

Cigarettes turn beautiful smiles into horrendous grins. Those white and healthy teeth, when compounded with the large doses of nicotine in a cigarette stick, create stains on the teeth that can’t be scraped off by mere brushing alone. Smoking also causes bad breath. Though a cliché, bad breath is really one of the worst conditions that can ruin both your personal and professional life. Talking to people and smelling a hint of bad breath coming from your mouth is reason enough to turn away from the person you’re talking to. What more if you also have body odor? Pair those two and people will start turning their backs on you… for good.

Smoking also causes a rapid buildup of tartar on the teeth. The more sticks you smoke, the less whiter your teeth are going to be. Notice how people who smoke seldom smile and those who have the courage to showcase their black gums and yellow teeth often become the laughing stock when they’re not looking. Smoking also increases the likeliness of falling teeth, meaning there’s a higher chance that you’ll lose one or two from that full set of teeth once you hit thirty.

Ultimately, smokers are faced with two the deadliest hazards of their own doing: oral cancer and lung cancer. In 2009 alone, as recorded by the Oral Cancer Foundation, oral cancer has taken the lives of 7,600 people living in the United States: 5,240 and 2,360 men and women respectively; with the tongue being the primary victim of the illness. Lung cancer, on the other hand, has taken a mind-boggling 159,390 lives, almost 21 times more than that of oral cancer. These figures do not lie, and it’s up to you to prevent your name from being marked as a cancer patient.

Quitting smoking is hard, we know. As dental professionals, we strive to give our patients the information they really need in order to live better lives. Inasmuch as we would like to help them, the decision of their lives is still theirs to make.

As dentists, we’re forced to draw out alternatives to cigar, because it will make the smoker crave even more for other so-called loopholes and excuses. Patches and pills can take away the anxiety, but it’s still up to the person to lash out the bad habit. We recommend living the usual, healthy life they once had and secure both their and their children’s future. That’s attainable if one immerses himself/herself into a variety of more productive activities like gaming and non-exhaustive sports.

If you want to quit, but find it hard to do so, there are people just like you who have found the key to a nicotine-free life. If you do not want your name to be disclosed on public health records or don’t want to know your family to know your private smoking life, Nicotine Anonymous is just a call or email away.

Visit their site and discover for yourself the benefits of living a clean life. You can contact Nicotine Anonymous at: http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/contact_us.php.

Stop smoking and start living.

Newer studies in the field of dentistry and medicine suggest that people with type 2 diabetes have higher chances of tooth loss than the people who lack the illness. Why so? For one, diabetes is linked with the decrease of salivation, which in turn dries the mouth and thickens the blood vessels, reducing the normal circulation of nutrients into the body, especially into the gum tissues. Diabetes also makes it harder for the body to fight infections because of the lesser production of already-weakened white blood cells.

Come to think of it, diabetes produces a domino effect that can lead from one serious illness to a much more serious illness. Diabetes, per se, is not the only one responsible for all medical and dental complications that hasten death. Research shows that people who already have diabetes, but eat healthy food, exercise daily, take their insulin and drink their medicine on a regular basis have significantly lower chances of acquiring life-threatening complications. People who take their diabetes for granted or are unaware of it, on the other hand, have shown a rapid degeneration in the production of antibodies and have lower blood circulation, paving the way to a weakened body state.

In the study previously mentioned, a fourth of 38,000 males who have type 2 diabetes that were subjected to medical examinations have been reported to have had tooth loss; a third of those 11,478 who have suffered from tooth loss were also positive of periodontitis.

Sexism being put aside, we know for a fact that the male population tends to drink and smoke more than the female population. We also know for a fact that most males would ignore getting medical and dental attention and still pursue a crude lifestyle, being aware of the risks imposed by the threat of acquiring diabetes.

But women are the most burdened with the effects of diabetes. Being known for their balancing act lifestyles and the pressures of taking care of their children, having diabetes can be very depressing, especially if the woman is a stay-at-home mother. Signs of gestational diabetes have often been evidenced in pregnant women. With the risk of diabetes going away after childbirth, there is still a looming concern if the condition will come back. Women are encouraged to go back to their usual work lives and exercise routines once they have fully recuperated from the childbirth.

Birth control pills and intraurine devices have been linked with fluctuating glucose levels and are not recommended to women who already have diabetes.

The risk of diabetes is four times as much on Asian, African-African and Hispanic women than on Caucasian women.

A healthy lifestyle, daily exercise and awareness on the stuff that makes our digestive systems puke is one way of preventing diabetes from setting in. People who know that diabetes is inherent in their family should steer clear from drinking and smoking, as well as eating vast amounts of carbohydrates. Simple prevention can be the cure.

For the people who already have diabetes, consult your dentist about what type of diet you should follow with regard to your daily budget.

Mouthguards are also worn by patients who suffer from bruxism (involuntary and relentless grinding of the teeth) and TMJ disorders. These specialized mouth guards are custom-made by a dental technician. People suffering from extreme bruxism are thoroughly advised not to wear over-the-counter mouth guards or they may suffer far more detrimental complications on their teeth. These specialized mouthguards are also only worn when one is sleeping, as self-restraint during the day is the best practice that is advised by dentists.

There are basically three types of mouth guards:

1.) Ready-made mouthguards are the most common mouthguards sold in the market because of their low prices. They are typically disposable and aren’t really advised by dentists because of their non-custom fit and their inability to protect the back teeth. They are available in small, medium and large sizes. Wearing these mouthpieces may hinder one’s ability to speak naturally or to even speak audibly at all. These are not safe to wear when playing contact sports because they don’t give the much-needed protection by the teeth. These mouthpieces cannot be worn by people who have protruding teeth.

Stock mouthguards are sold for about $1 to $15.

2.) Boil-and-bite mouthguards are available at sporting goods stores and various drugs stores. By first boiling the mouthguards, then biting onto them once they are softened, the mouth pieces adapt to the shape and contour of the mouth, giving the user a more precise bite and better protection from any further damage that may be caused by an irregular bite.

Boil-and-bite mouthguards cost about $1 to $40, depending on the brand that manufactures them.

3.) Custom mouthguards are preferred by both amateur and professional athletes, as well as dentists, because of the maximum level of protection these dental devices give and their seemingly perfect fit to any person’s teeth. Getting a dental impression with custom mouthguards is basically just the same as getting impressions for dentures. By biting on the putty-like substance, the impressions are sent to a professional dental technician for the plaster cast to be built, which will be the basis for the custom mouthguard.

Custom mouthguards are pricier than other mouthpieces. The fair price for these ranges from $100 to $300. Custom mouthguards made from other special material often cost more than $1,000. These “special” custom mouthpieces are used by people who compete in extreme sports, like wrestling, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.

Before you get your mouthguard, the dental technician will send your dentist a plaster cast that you will have to try out before the final product gets sent. If you feel any minor discomfort wearing the cast, it’s very important to tell your dentist about it to make the necessary adjustments on the final product.

When a mouthguard is worn, there also must be proper care attributed to owning it, especially if it is custom-made. Mouthguards should be cleaned and scrubbed with a toothbrush and then rinsed with cold water. A mouthguard usually comes with a perforated case so it’s imperative for one not to lose the container. Also, one should always take care of the mouthguard whenever wearing it; any abuse given to the mouthguard, like chewing and taking it on and off your mouth can rip or pierce the material. Do not imitate the athletes you see on TV who play with their mouthpieces, since they have lots of money to buy new ones and they probably have spares lying around.

Funnily enough, some people sleep with their mouthguards on and forget that these delicate equipment should only be worn during practice sessions and competitions to avoid loosening. Custom-made mouthguards usually have a lifespan of two years, so it’s imperative to make the most out of that usage time.

Tooth decay or “dental caries” is the process of bacteria infiltrating the inner portions of the tooth, often leading to an unsightly, gaping hole in the area of bacterial infiltration. And tooth decay is no small issue – several deaths have been caused by tooth decay of a single tooth. An unattended tooth decay issue has led to a Deamont resident’s death in March of 2007. This, along with a few other cases of unsightly tooth decay maladies has led the US government to pass a bill called the “Children’s Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007”, which aims to provide free dental services for children falling in the poverty line.

Tooth decay can be prevented by the regular brushing and flossing of teeth, aided by a dentist-recommended toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Dentists, as always, recommend a healthy food regimen to prevent tooth decay from happening. But 90% of the time, people violate the rules and dig into the flavorful yet dentally compromising foods that are either highly acidic or high in sucrose content (fructose, glucose and sucrose).

Though the recalcification (or the “regeneraton”) of the tooth enamel is highly probable in people who brush their teeth at least thrice a week, the effects of tooth decay still vary in our bodily composition. Adults have a highly lesser chance to recover from tooth decay than children. And since people with a sweet tooth often tend to carry that habit until they grow older, chances are, those people are more prone to acute tooth decay conditions.

To prevent tooth decay and other related dental health problems, one must always follow these simple steps and advice (ranked in importance):

1. Brush and floss teeth after meals and before going to sleep. People with dental appliances like braces and dentures may require more thorough brushing.

2. Always bring a toothbrush and toothpaste if you’re going to stay out of town for more than a day. Research shows that people who go out of town eat more both in quantity and variety as compared to their daily eating habits.

3. Get your teeth cleaned at least twice a year. Professional cleaning often takes a few minutes and the costs are not that high. Oftentimes, your dental coverage plan will take care of 80-100% of the bill. We also recommend getting dental health insurance.

4. Get dental fillings if you haven’t had them yet. Dental fillings are one of the most important procedures that should be mandatorily done on our teeth.

5. Again, avoid foods with drastically high amounts of sugar and high acidity levels. These foods, will detriment your dental health in the long run. Consider toning down on preservative-based foods and practice eating natural and organic foods.

6. In some cases, pediatric dentists may prescribe chewable sodium fluoride tablets to children and adolescents. This ensures that they get sufficient amounts of fluoride for their teeth. These tablets are sold in bottles and usually cost more than the regular vitamin supplements.

For severe cases of tooth decay, signaled by acute pain caused by a gaping hole (also called a “cavity”), bad breath and a bitter taste when eating food, one should definitely go see a dentist. Unattended cases of tooth decay first turn into complications like thrombosis and various heart conditions.

First things first. Braces require the utmost attention and care of any dental appliance, because braces usually last two to four years and dislocations of the brackets may lead to a visit to the dental clinic, resulting to unwanted fees. Braces are, by fact, the toughest dental appliance to clean. People who wear braces are faced with the responsibility of brushing their teeth after every meal (especially after eating seafood) and before going to sleep. The reason being that food debris clings on to teeth with braces even after gargling.

It is also imperative to know what kinds of food are recommended to people who wear braces. Dentists recommend easy-to-chew, well-cooked and soft foods, to avoid breakage and misalignment of braces. The types food you should avoid are:

1.) Tough-to-bite and touch-to-chew foods – 80% of dental appliance breakages are caused by eating hard foods. The wire in the brace is not very tough, so when biting hard foods, be sure to direct the bite to the second and third molars and not to the front teeth and cuspids to avoid loosening of the brackets.

2.) Uncooked food – obviously a breeding ground for bacteria and other vicious elements, uncooked food is definitely unsafe to eat when one wears braces. The bacteria may nest in hidden parts of the teeth, thus making it harder to clean and may promote unnoticed tartar buildup.

3.) Acidic foods and drinks – braces are metallic devices and therefore are prone to stains that, in turn, may collude with the surface of the tooth, causing permanent stains.

4.) Foods with high sugar content/sticky foods - sweet foods that leave a residue of stickiness on the teeth may cause a variety of unsightly dental conditions in the long run. As you may know, high sucrose content is the catalyst for plaque buildup, and what more if that sticky material latches on to the surface of the teeth and in-between the braces.

5.) Gum – gum is not prohibited when wearing braces, but because of the high sugar content most gums have and the risks that it imposes, it is advised to eat only sugarless gum.

As you may have noticed, hard foods are number one on the list of foods to avoid. Why? Because hard foods usually require the full aid of the front teeth to do initiate the bite. This, in turn, leads to a more stringent bite, that may cause the food to pull the wires, thereby dislocating the brackets on the front teeth.

Avoiding sugary foods is also very important. Plaque and tartar buildup for people with braces is very, very high. People who wear braces are often faced with the long-term predicament of yellowish to blackish pigments on their front teeth.

It is very important to use a specialized toothbrush called a “proxibrush” to clean in-between teeth and areas just beneath the brackets. A proxibrush is approximately seven inches in length and is primarily used in cleaning the front surface of the teeth and braces. Apply a thin lather of fluoride toothpaste on the bristles of the proxibrush. Brushing starts from the back of the teeth all the way to the front. Pressure definitely need not be applied and there should also be utmost discretion in cleaning hard-to-reach parts: routinely clean with gentle strokes. If an area of the teeth cannot be cleaned, do not force the proxibrush or else the brackets may loosen.

People can also use a proxibrush alongside a regular toothbrush. While using a regular toothbrush on initial cleaning of the teeth, remember to brush really gently and focus on the brushing the back surface of the teeth and scraping the tongue, since the main task of the proxibrush is to clean the front surface of the teeth.

Proxibrushes are also like regular toothbrushes, which need to be replaced every three months and should be soaked in warm water whenever possible to avoid bacteria buildup on the bristles.

It is always important to carry a proxibrush or two around with you, especially on out-of-town trips.

This article is only a general guide in brushing teeth with braces. It is much more recommended that one consults the dentist regarding the proper regimen that on brushing the teeth, respective to the type of braces that you are wearing.

A recently held poll in the United Kingdom suggested a staggering decline in the number of people who brush and floss on a daily basis. The two minutes` time to be spent on brushing our teeth, as suggested by dentists, is not being followed anymore and people who brush their teeth are doing it in less than 30 seconds – not very effective if you ask us.

By “brushing off” dentists’ advice, people are becoming more prone to serious dental health issues. Little do people know that maintaining a good oral regimen can increase the average lifespan to 20 years. The awareness campaigns on television seem to have little to no effect on the mindset of people when it comes to brushing their teeth. Or are we just missing something? If you notice, the adverts being aired on TV do not specify a time range of at least two minutes on brushing our teeth. And if you pay attention even more, all of the actors have really, really white teeth – not a very great way to please the 80% of viewers who have imperfect, yellowish teeth. If you’d ask us, more “realistic” campaigns should be aired – and they shouldn’t use actors who underwent an insanely thorough bleaching experience. To get people to pay attention and not just listen to professional advice, one should be use a realistic approach that uses naturally whitened teeth and not teeth that look like they just got out of the laboratory.

Going back to the subject of why people tend to eat at a burger joint instead of going to the dentist. We’ll give you the top three reasons (besides dental fear) on why people don’t just have the nerve to go to the dentist:

1.) Pride – pride is an awfully destructive human feeling. Pride comes in two forms: vanity and ignorance. Unluckily for men, who do the most damage to the teeth, ignorance comes in first. Men have mastered the art of “do-it-yourself” techniques that almost instantaneously boosts their pride even more when they encounter any health issues. By abstaining from doing what they previously did, like eating sweet and acidic foods, a majority of the male population think that any problem will go away. Well, for a fact, it won’t go away, more so if the problem has already penetrated in the inner regions of the tooth, say the dentin or the pulp.

As they experts say: eat your pride or else it will eat you.

2.) Money Constraints – as we’ve said earlier, going to the dentist is both a privilege and a luxury. And money is no small issue. For a third world country, going to the dentist may mean shaving off a week’s amount of pay just to pay for dental expenses on a single visit. Money is also so important to people who live frugal lives that the idea of going to the dentist is often their last resort. And right now, in the 21st century, there’s a mentality that has just set in: spending more money on useless things to impress your friends. In that case, you won’t impress anyone with your gadgets if your teeth repelled them before they even get to see your toys.

That being said, to avoid outrageously high dental expenses, do the basics. Brush and floss your teeth regularly and eat less of the bad stuff. Doing those simple things might save you thousands of dollars in dental bills the next time you get an appointment.

3.) Time Constraints – we’re not living in the industrial period, but little do we know that we overwork ourselves on a daily basis. Thanks to the internet, an additional 6 hours of our lives gets dedicated to things we shouldn’t even be doing in the first place. This is also a reason why adolescents and young adults are having a hard time maintaining their dental health: they would rather go to party, play games at home or socialize with their friends on Facebook than go visit the dentist.

Going to the dentist may sound like a time waster but looking at our activities, there’s no better time waster than doing the things we love: spending countless hours chatting and gaming for no apparent benefit at all. We’re not mad or anything, but the population needs to wake up. Health comes first. Health will always come first.