Nature Versus Nurture and Your Oral Health.

Your oral health is a very important matter; sometimes it feels like everything you encounter has some effect on it, even some things beyond your control.  The idea of nature versus nurture has been around for a long time now.  If you’ve ever known identical twins who are completely different or a brother and step sister who grow up being very similar, you’ve probably been exposed to the idea, at least subconsciously.  The discussion of the relative strength of nature versus nurture is also alive in the area of oral health.  While both no doubt play an important role, you may be surprised to see which seems to come out on top in this debate.

When it comes to oral health, nature and nurture are not even on the scales.

When we are born, our oral health begins to evolve almost immediately, as a group of microorganisms begin to live in our mouth in the moments after birth.  This bacterial community is ever changing as new bacteria are introduced to our mouths throughout childhood and adulthood.  In a recent study, the oral health environment of identical twins was tested to search for similarities and differences.  The study seemed to show that even with the same genetic makeup (nature’s influence) the habits and environments of the twins had a more dominant impact.  In essence, nurture seemed to be more powerful in this case.

Your oral health is dependent on many things.  One of the best things you can do, even today, is start some good oral health habits.  Daily brushing, flossing, and responsible consumption of sugary foods can go a long way to insuring you have good oral health for years to come.  Another important aspect of this nurture is to regularly visit your family dentist for checkups, cleanings, and any restorative work that may need to be done.  If you don’t have a family dentist, and you live in the Columbus and Reynoldsburg areas, come and see us.  We would love to meet you and start down the road of good nurturing for your oral health.  Call us or schedule an appointment online today!

Source: Medical News Today

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