To begin, we need to understand what lifestyle means. Lifestyle refers to the attitude and behavior of an individual. It can be described as a reflection of an individual. Hence, in the context of health, lifestyle can be said to reflect an individual’s health or vice versa.
It is essential for people to understand the strong relationship that often exists between a person’s lifestyle and his health status. Some are aware of this relationship and do their best to live a lifestyle that has no harmful effect on their health. However, they often unknowingly ignore one aspect, which is oral health.
Of course, oral health influences our general health. Thus, when caring for your general health, you must be conscious of how your lifestyle impacts your oral health. Some habits, attitudes, and other lifestyle elements we possess and exhibit are detrimental to our oral health. The more shocking part is that some of these elements are often unconsciously displayed because they are already a part of our being.
It is essential to identify the lifestyle habits that are harmful to your oral health and address them. But then, the truth is that doing away with some lifestyle habits can be complicated and seem impossible; the saying “change is never easy” best explains how complex the process of changing some harmful lifestyle habits can be. This article will highlight some negative lifestyle habits and their impact on oral health. Read on for more.
Impact of Lifestyle on Oral Health Behavior
A local dentist, Dr. Natter, said that from his experience with oral health behavior and lifestyle, most people with specific lifestyle traits often experience oral health issues because their lifestyle affects their oral health. Some of these traits include:
1. Workaholics: Yes, workaholic is a trait in some people’s lifestyle, where they dedicate most of their time to work, and the routine is always the same every day. This set of people finds it challenging to check and practice good oral health behaviors like regular dentist visits, brushing their teeth consistently, and keeping their nutrition in check. The story is always the same for them as they do not have the time to spare to check the oral health behavior they practice. The mindset of most individuals in this category is that oral health behaviors are petty. The major reason they practice poor oral health behavior is ignorance of how essential their health is to their general health.
2. Students: This lifestyle can be classified into two, the lifestyle of students in high school and the lifestyle of students in college. The lifestyle of students in high school and below see most of them practice excellent oral health behavior. This observation can result if they are still under the full supervision of their parents and more. In contrast, most students in college are observed to possess poor oral health behavior because of the kind of lifestyle they lead. A common phrase that describes most students’ lifestyle in college is “live the life .” However, they misinterpret this phrase and practice poor oral health behavior. The other part of students in colleges who still practice poor oral health behavior but do not engage in careless activities is because they can hardly afford the time and resources to practice excellent oral health behavior as they have to meet up with class and other academic activities.
3. Other lifestyles: Another lifestyle that influences oral health behavior is living from the point of ignorance. As mentioned earlier, not everybody is informed on what is required to maintain excellent oral health and how oral health impacts their general health; thus, some of their actions are very harmful to their oral health.
Some Poor Oral Health Behaviors Influenced by Lifestyle
There is a specific oral health behavior that is influenced by lifestyle. They include:
- Smoking and Drinking: These substances contain chemicals that harm oral health; thus, people who smoke and drink regularly have higher chances of experiencing oral health issues.
- Nutrition: Like every organ or system in the body, oral health thrives on the availability of specific nutrients; thus, check with your dentists for the kind of diet to take that ensures a healthy oral health behavior.
- Using non-fluoride toothpaste: As mentioned earlier, some are ignorant of their practices’ harmful effects on oral health. Ensure the toothpaste you use I’d fluoride-containing toothpaste; plus, it is advisable if a dentist recommends it.
Conclusion
Our lifestyle impacts our oral health behavior in many ways, and this article has highlighted some ways. It also shows the importance of caring for oral health and the effects of acting otherwise.