Men and Healthy Mouths

More men are visiting the dentist

In an article found on the Academy of General Dentistry website, the trend of men staying away from the dentist is a thing of the past. The stereotype that men are less likely to visit the dentist has made a shift for two reasons. One, men are finding that an attractive smile has value in the business world. Middle age men are competing with young men in this tight job market and appearances can become a factor, Second, and most importantly, men are discovering that overall health benefits are related to a healthy mouth. Physicians, dentists, and the media have been intentional about relating studies that link periodontal disease to systemic problems and I have discussed some of these issues in previous Blogs.

Two factors that have traditioanlly kept men away from the dentist are fear and embarassment. We work very hard in our practice to make our patients comfortable with their visits by having open comunication about their concerns and their oral condition without guilt or blame.