Take care of your teeth

When I was a young child, health was sometimes combined with art at our school (we had no art classes in either Forreston or Mt. Morris) and we'd color special pages with messages--like "Take care of your teeth and they will take care of you." And it's true. Early and consistent care of teeth will greatly benefit you. Here's some good news. 75% of baby boomers will enter long-term care with most of their natural teeth. Very different from my parents or grandparents generation. My in-laws were in their 40s when I met them, and both had dentures. All sorts of health problems are linked to oral conditions. I still have all my teeth—even my wisdom teeth, but I had a close call with gingivitis in my 30s.  That can lead to periodontal disease which causes loss of connective tissue and bone.  It’s the leading cause of tooth loss.  So I needed surgery to correct it.  You don’t ever want that—very painful.  "The effects of oral health on systemic health," by Shawn F. Kane.  You'll be able to understand most of this.  https://www.agd.org/docs/default-source/self-instruction-(gendent)/gendent_nd17_aafp_kane.pdf