Why the ‘superman syndrome’ is bad for your teeth and gums

Although it may be true that men, in general, are now more open about talking about their feelings and generally not being as machismo about their lifestyle, there is still plenty of evidence to suggest that this is probably still a minority.

The ‘macho tendency’ amongst some men can lead them to believe that they are almost invincible (hence the ‘superman syndrome’). This can have an effect on many parts of their lives, and that includes how they look after their teeth and gums, or don’t, as the case may be!

This can also apply when a dental issue does occur. For example, bleeding gums can be brushed off as ‘irrelevant’ as there is often little blood and sometimes little or no discomfort. This approach though could well lead to tooth loss if not treated in time.

In today’s blog, our Foxhall Dental Practice Ipswich team takes a look at a few of the issues surrounding the ‘superman syndrome’ and what can be done to counter it.

Cigarettes and alcohol

Perhaps one of the more traditional ‘markers’ of masculinity. The times are definitely changing but it is not so long ago that to not smoke or drink would have probably resulted in derogatory comments. Whilst there is evidence that the younger generation is slowly drifting away from these habits, they are still a mainstay with many men.

Both of these habits, but cigarettes especially, can be incredibly harmful for both teeth and gums. Your teeth are likely to become badly stained, but more seriously, the risk of oral cancers are greatly increased if you regularly smoke and drink. The odd glass of beer should be relatively harmless, but excess or regular alcohol intake can be as bad as smoking on this issue.

Alcohol is also responsible for a large number of accidents and collisions. Stay sober to stay safe!

If you do smoke, our advice would be to seek help to stop smoking. Vaping is a solution that works for many smokers although the long term effects of this is not yet fully known.

Your teeth are not ‘tools’

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What you can do, as a patient, to help prevent this potentially deadly disease.

Oral cancer may not be as well known as some other types of cancer, but it can still have devastating effects for anyone suffering from it. This is especially the case for those where it was not detected until it had reached a relatively advanced stage.

Aside from any treatment that you might need to undergo, facial deformities, difficulty in swallowing, and even death, can follow. Although treatments for cancer have improved over the years, it is obviously far better to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Before we move onto the patient’s role, it is important to remember that the Foxhall Dental Practice in Ipswich examines your mouth during routine checkups for possible signs of cancer symptoms and will refer you to your GP for further examination if required. It is worth reminding patients that just because we ask you to have something checked by your GP, this is to err on the side of caution and there may well be other reasons for the symptoms. It is not a cancer diagnosis.

The patient’s role in cancer prevention

Although no strategy is entirely foolproof, there are certain actions and habits that some of us carry out, often on a daily basis, that may be contributory factors towards your oral, or mouth, cancer risk. By eliminating, or at least reducing these, the chances of a healthy mouth are increased and your cancer risks reduced.

Smoking

The biggest thing that you can do to minimise your mouth cancer risk is to stop smoking. We appreciate that this is easier said than done, but it very important. Smoking has many negative effects on the mouth including increased likelihood of gum disease, bad breath, teeth staining and the slowing down of the healing process following dental surgery. Above all though, smoking greatly puts you at risk of mouth cancer and should be stopped. There are many different ways to stop and we suggest that you look around for a local support group, possibly via your GP. Many people also find that switching to vaping is an effective method,  although long term health risks of this is not yet clear.

Drinking

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Our later years can present new opportunities, and having a healthy mouth is key advises Dr Kothari

Whether we like it or not, the vast majority of us will grow old. When we are younger, we may not look forward to this time, and may even see it as a period of potential ill health and boredom.

Whilst this may be the case for some older people, many find that when they finally arrive there, their later years can present opportunities to try new things, or things that they didn’t have time for whilst they were working.

We may not want to go to all night raves, or ‘pogo’ to punk music, but tastes change, and some would argue that accepting these changes makes for a much happier later life. Whether you enjoy walking, reading, writing or even bird watching, these later years can offer great opportunities to enjoy life in a different way.

Oral health issues

There is no denying that, as people are living longer, they may well experience more illness and much of this can be managed through the use of medicines and therapies. Oral health is no different. Being older does present additional challenges to the teeth and gums, but, with good care, these can be managed, or, where teeth are too badly damaged, restored using one of the range of cosmetic procedures that we have available at the Foxhall Dental Practice in Ipswich.

Wear and tear through longer use, often resulting in chips and cracks in the teeth are more common. Gum disease too is a real challenge, especially as older people produce less saliva. If left untreated, having weaker, unstable teeth can detract from some of the enjoyment of our later years, especially as far as our food is concerned.

The challenges

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