We often worry about the appearance of our teeth. Is there food stuck in them? Have I been flossing and brushing appropriately to keep my teeth brilliantly white? But perhaps we ought to concentrate more on how healthy our teeth are at any age than on how good they look.
Take a moment to gaze at your reflection in the mirror. What do you see? The surface of your skin? The curve of your smile? Take a closer look – your toothy grin may seem charming and unassuming, but don’t be fooled. The mouth has been called the gateway to the body, and aptly so. Good oral hygiene is associated with whole-body wellness, while poor oral health has been linked to a surprising number of medical conditions, including pre-term birth, diabetes and heart disease.
So how can you protect your family’s health from birth to old age? We asked Kathryn Ehmann, DDS, of Kathy Farley & Associates, a family dental practice located in Annapolis. Here’s what she had to say about family dental care, from the first tooth to the last.
