Why take care of your teeth? For starters, you only get two sets, and one of them falls out over childhood. Most of those baby teeth will be gone by age 12. And, the second set comes in by the time most people have formed bad habits.

Your “permanent” teeth will never be as clean, white, and nicely spaced as your original teeth because you are likely to be eating incorrectly, negligent in toothcare, and heir to unfortunate genes.

You need to take care of your teeth before it’s too late. Here are five reasons to be concerned:

1. Money Savings: Tooth decay means pain. And, the intervention and restoration will be costly. While some degree of decay and damage is inevitable, your care and caution is the best way to minimize both.

Regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups form the best offense against toothy decay because the damaging bacteria for in the spaces between teeth where it attacks tooth enamel.

2. Unacceptable Pain: Bacteria corrupt the enamel to cause cavities, and plaque builds at gum lines to cause gum disease and periodontal problems which can cause extreme pain. It’s one sign you should check your oral surgeon directory for help near you.

The pain is a signal that you may be heading for an abscess with excruciating pain, the promise of dental surgery, and possible spread of the infection. Extraction, replacement, and root canal mean more pain to mitigate the damage you could have prevented.

3. Brilliant Smile: If you want to stay kissing sweet, young looking, and happy looking, you need a bright smile. Thorough and regular brushing is your best option, but regular dental cleansing will deep clean below the gums and remove stains from colas, coffees, and teas.

The dentist can also apply sealants to protect the teeth like an athlete’s mouth guard. Keeping your smile goes along with having the clean breath that can be ruined with poor tooth care.

4. Overall Health: Poor tooth health has been linked with diabetes, heart problems, dementia, and other health conditions.

The Global Diabetes Community says, “People with diabetes who have poor control of their blood glucose levels are more likely to develop dental health problems. Therefore, keeping your blood sugar within a normal range will reduce this risk. Eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and giving up smoking is advised to lessen the risk of oral health problems.”

Thomas Salinas at Mayo Clinic writes, “Research suggests that periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and that people with chronic gum disease have increased thickness of their neck blood vessels.”

And, the Alzheimer’s Society insists on the need to monitor dental care for dementia patients. “Maintaining oral health brings benefits in terms of self-esteem, dignity, social integration and nutrition.”

5. Technology: Today’s dentists, clinicians, and lab technicians race to stay current on technology to ease patient treatment, improve their care, and assure their privacy.

Digital x-rays have replaced damaging techniques. Intraoral cameras help patients review their own care in real time. And, only authorized users have access to your private medical and dental records.

Your dental bill?

You can minimize your short- and long-range costs and suffering with attentive care. It starts with brushing and flossing your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day. And, it means workin together with your dental health professionals on regular assessment and care.