You may think that any family problems are strictly your business, and — if friends and well-meaning relatives pry — you will let them know that you are doing your very best not to let arguments, marital problems, or a pending divorce negatively affect your children (thank you very much!). There is at least one other person you may want to talk to about your troubles — and it is the person you would least expect. Who is it? Your family dentist.
Family Problems Linked With Poor Oral Health
Unfortunately, marital problems, verbal abuse, and even domestic violence may trickle down into future generations — and so can the consequences and ramifications of these actions.
“New York University researchers found that parents with worse oral health often had partners who were more verbally or physically hostile to them,” HealthDay.com reports. “And children whose mothers were emotionally aggressive to their fathers also had more decayed, missing or filled teeth.” Although tooth enamel is the hardest material in our bodies, it does not necessarily stand up well to physical trauma. In fact, nearly all adults 35 and older with one or more missing teeth are victims of family violence, accidental injury, or athletic trauma, family dentists reveal.
Keep Your Marriage Healthy, For You And Your Kids
Staying in an unhealthy marriage may entail cosmetic dental treatment and hefty cosmetic dentistry costs for your child (or children) down the line. Unfortunately, family problems are very common — with up to 90% of Americans admitting to aggression between romantic partners or even between parents and children. Get marital counseling. Reevaluate marriages. Remember that you are setting an example for your children and seek support and help to safely get out of violent environments and/or marriages, if necessary (and that goes for men and women!).
Things like odontophobia, or fear of the dentist, may not seem like that big of a deal in comparison to verbal and physical abuse, something that is apparently rampant in most American families. Seek help if you need it to help children avoid the emotional, mental, and physical ramifications, including poor oral health and cosmetic dental treatment.
