So many of the issues we have in our mouth are absolutely symptom-free. That makes it kind of hard to know when you’ve got an infection! And if you’ve got an infection, that doesn’t just affect your mouth, it affects your entire body. That’s why proactive healthcare for your mouth is so important.

Now, there’s proactive healthcare vs. reactive healthcare. Proactive is when you actually take an active role in the health of your mouth before there’s an issue going on. There are plenty of ways to do that – the whole idea is to get bacteria out of your mouth. Reactive, on the other hand, is when an issue pops up and then you start taking care of your mouth.

To take it a step further, reactive healthcare is getting a new heart valve, while proactive would be taking steps to ensure you don’t need one!

The first thing we must do to take a proactive stance is realize just how important it is to take care of your teeth, not just medically, but financially as well. There are so many ways to clean your teeth that are entirely inexpensive, but when it comes to fixing problems that are already there? Not so much.

We talk more about how to take care of your mouth proactively and answer a listener’s question about sealants in Episode 24 of “Your Filthy Mouth.”

Until next week…

Charles “Dr. Chuck” Reinertsen, DMD, has been practicing dentistry in Central Florida since 1979 and is author of the book, “The Power of a Really Great Smile.” His passion is spreading the word about how the health of your mouth is intrinsically linked to the rest of your body. Learn more at www.yourfilthymouth.com.