When it comes to personal finance, we tend to focus on money-making strategies, paying off debt, boosting savings, building retirement funds, and establishing emergency funds. We try to fix our financial situation by reducing our expenses, building a career that pays well, diversifying our income, and the like. But did you know that even your oral health can have a direct impact on your finances?
Taking care of your oral health can be easy with the right habits. However, it can be quite expensive to maintain a healthy mouth, sparkling white teeth, and minty breath. Don’t forget about the costs of regular dental visits, teeth replacement, teeth whitening, and other procedures meant to help with your oral health.
You could be short of cash that you went for cheaper alternatives that do little-to-no good to your oral hygiene. You could also be too tired or busy to ensure you flossed or brushed your teeth enough times each day. But know that there is not enough excuse in the world to take oral hygiene for granted.
Negative Impacts of Poor Oral Health
Taking oral health for granted can lead to a series of oral health issues. This includes cavities and gum disease. The effects can extend beyond your mouth and can put you at risk of the following.
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Respiratory problems
- Risk of premature birth
- Erectile dysfunction
- Dementia
Know that the consequences of poor oral hygiene go beyond health. This can also make you feel insecure for not having great teeth or for sporting a breath that many find offensive. You can end up ruining your chance of developing great relationships with others that can make you feel that sense of love and belongingness.
Poor Oral Health and Your Finances
One consequence many people fail to realize until it is too late is that poor health can also impact their finances. One might think that how often you floss, how crooked your teeth look, or how a missing tooth has nothing to do with your personal finance. But in reality, this has the ability to influence your ability to make money and achieve certain financial goals.
Oral Health and Career-Building
Not all jobs require you to have a perfect set of teeth. Changes in trends made society think of imperfections like crooked teeth or teeth gaps as unique and interesting. But for some people and their professions, having great teeth helps them in doing better in their jobs, and ultimately affects their ability to build wealth.
Models, musicians, and actors often need a perfect set of teeth to look great for the camera. Certain gigs and projects need them to look anything but spectacular, including their smile. Rarely can one snag a role by sporting bad teeth.
The same goes for those who are in the field of health and sales. One can’t expect consumers to buy teeth whitening products from someone who clearly has yellow or black teeth. The same goes for a dentist who can’t even have their teeth fixed.
This goes to show that poor dental health can influence your ability to get your dream job. If you can’t get a job just because of your oral health, it will be hard to build that career you’ve always wanted. It also becomes difficult to gain the confidence you need to show off your skills when it involves flashing a healthy smile.
Oral Health and Entrepreneurship
One might think that entrepreneurs have all the means to finance the costs of their oral health care. They have a business that makes money and possibly more than enough cash to pay for regular dental visits and dental procedures. But in reality, many entrepreneurs receive less dental care compared to those below the poverty line.
Entrepreneurs often find themselves not having enough time for themselves, let alone attend dental appointments. Their busy and stressful lifestyle also puts their oral health at risk. Know that stress can have a direct impact on your teeth.
For one, stress can cause bruxism. This condition refers to teeth grinding, gnashing, or clenching teeth. Over time, this can cause wear and tear, jaw or facial pain, tension-type headaches, and other disorders.
Entrepreneurs manage their businesses by leading their employees and nurturing great relationships with their customers and clients. Their job forces them to talk, smile, present, and do other tasks that involve smiling and talking. If their confidence and self-esteem are scarred because of poor oral health, the long-term impact can also influence their wealth-building abilities.
This goes to show how one’s oral health can influence one’s personal finances. It is crucial that we never take oral health for granted if we want to reap the best results. Whether your plan is to build a career, enter entrepreneurship, or do other endeavors, health should always be part of your game plan.