Are Men at a Particularly High Risk for Oral Health Issues?

At California Dental Group, we’ve seen patients from every background and both genders take great care of their teeth and we’ve seen people from every background and both genders not take great care of their teeth. That said, we found some interesting stats recently about the difference between risk factors for men and women, as well as their likelihood of good home oral health.

There are a number of factors that lead to higher oral health risks for men

Simply put, men’s oral health is more likely to be poor than a woman’s. This isn’t due to a single factor and is instead caused by a range of things. First up, let’s consider medications. Blood pressure medications and certain pills to treat heart problems are known to cause dry mouth. Dry mouth also increases the chances of getting gum disease and increases the risk for categories. Men are more likely to have heart problems than women, so this is a bigger issue for men than for women.

Use of tobacco can significantly raise a person’s chance of getting oral cancer. Guess who’s more likely to use tobacco? Men. The good news is that if it’s caught early, the chances of survival are much better. At California Dental Group, we’re proud to offer free oral cancer screenings for both men and women.

The better a person’s oral hygiene is, the less likely they are to have oral health issues. Consider that 86% of women say they brush twice every day while only 66% of men say they do. Then consider that according to one study, women are close to twice as likely as men to have gotten a dental checkup in the last year. When you compare a lack of brushing with skipping visits to your California dentist, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Oral health is about more than the health of your mouth

According to some studies, gum disease is linked to diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart problems. Additionally, men who have gum disease are almost 50% more likely to get kidney cancer then men who don’t, and 54% more likely to get pancreatic cancer than men who don’t. Gum inflammation can also be linked to inflammation of the prostate, which can be a significant issue for men as they age.

We touched on oral cancer above, but it bears repeating. Regular screenings are important because oral cancer kills someone about once every hour – and most of those victims are men. Call California Dental Group today to set up your oral cancer screening.

There are a million reasons to see your dentist regularly

While we’ve focused on health issues today, we don’t want to discount that there are other reasons to visit California Dental Group. A great smile boosts confidence and makes people more likely to smile. As far as we’re concerned, that’s reason enough to call us at (800) 407-0161 for your appointment.