Maintaining your childhood smile
Cavities aren’t just for kids, and as we age into adulthood it’s important to maintain good oral health to ward off preventable dental problems.
Ninety-two percent of adults aged 20 to 64 have had cavities in their permanent teeth, and untreated dental disease can lead to serious health problems such as infection, damage to a bone or nerve, and tooth loss. To keep your smiles healthy and happy, adults should continue with the same routine they grew up with. Brush twice a day for two minutes each time, floss daily and rinse with mouthwash.
Routine dental visits (even while pregnant) can catch hidden oral emergencies early and reduce your risk for tooth decay. If you wait to see a dentist until pain has already started, it’s likely too late to treat decay.
Despite improvements in oral health care, the U.S. spends an estimated $60 billion annually on dental services, including approximately 500 million visits to the dentist.2 Keep your wallet—and your mouth—healthy by taking care of your smile.
This information is available to download as an oral health flyer.
1 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, “Adults,” web.
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Promoting oral health: interventions for preventing dental caries, oral and pharyngeal cancers, and sports-related craniofacial injuries: a report on the recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services,” MMWR 50, RR-21 (2001): 1-13.