Men typically like to tough things out rather than be bothered by small ailments.
Demanding work schedules, lawn care, home improvements, and car repairs…
By the time we are done… We just want to spend some time with our families, watch some sports, hit the gym, or spend some time on the lake.
We really don’t want to deal with doctor or dental visits. If the body part hasn’t fallen off… It's probably fine.
While this approach may be fine for some things, it is not always for others.
To help men out, we have come up with a quick health guide to let you know if you should ignore a or get it checked out. Here is a small sample...
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Health Problem #1: I broke my leg. Answer: Drink a few stiff drinks and have your buddy give your foot yank to straighten it out. Afterward, align some sawed off hockey sticks with your legs and wrap it in duck tape. Give it a few months, if it has healed reasonably straight… you should be good. Verdict - Ignore |
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Health Problem #2: I have a black growth on my shoulder. Answer: That may be a melanoma! Unless your mother in-law is so overbearing that you wish to have a short life, you should definitely get that looked at! (No seriously!) Verdict - Get it checked out! |
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Health Problem #3: It really hurts when I extend my elbow. Answer: That’s an easy one… Just stop doing that and you’ll be fine. Verdict - Ignore |
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Health Problem #4: When I look at my dog, it looks like he has 4 heads. Answer - If this was after 10 beers, try reducing to 5 beers. If your dog now has 2 heads… you're probably good. If you have had no beers and your dog still has 4 heads, you may want to have a cat scan of your head, or check to see if your property was once used as a radioactive dump site. Verdict - Depends |
(For the especially gullible… Please note this is a joke and not real medical advice.)
In all seriousness though, there is one aspect of your health that you don’t want to ignore, and that is your oral health.
The Link Between Gum Disease And Health Problems
Research studies have linked chronic gum disease with low testosterone levels, and there has been speculation that the gum disease caused the low testosterone levels. While this is not proven, it should be noted that they haven’t ruled that link out yet.
But regardless of whether gum disease lowers your testosterone, there is no debate that ignoring oral care can have detrimental effects on your health.
Bacteria from gum disease can cross into your bloodstream and be taken directly to your heart and brain. This bacteria causes inflammation in the lining of the arteries and infection in the heart valves, making your risk of heart disease much higher.
These types of heart conditions also are responsible for:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Shortness of breath
- Low sex drive
- Fatigue
At least one large study found a link between gum disease and dementia, possibly caused by gum bacteria making its way to the sensitive parts of the brain.
Clearly, oral hygiene can affect way more than just your teeth, and it should never be ignored.
While caring for your teeth and gums is important, it also matters how NOT to do it.
Here are two things to avoid when caring for your teeth.
1. Avoid Harsh Chemicals In Toothpaste And Mouthwash
Many brands think the answer to gum disease is to use harsh chemicals in toothpaste and mouthwash to eliminate all bacteria… Like dropping an atomic bomb in your mouth.
Killing all bacteria in the mouth seems like a good idea right? Isn’t bacteria the cause of bad breath and infection?
While there is "bad" bacteria that causes problems, new science is showing that killing “all” bacteria may be a big mistake! (Source)(Source) To help you understand why that is, I need to explain how your mouth works.
There are multiple types of bacteria in your mouth… Some good, and some bad. This is known as your “Oral Microbiome”. The same way science is learning there are important bacterial strains for your gut… the same is also true for your mouth.
By using harsh chemicals such as detergent foaming agents, triclosan, and alcohol found in some store bought toothpaste and mouthwash, the balance of your oral bacteria can be thrown off.
This can actually lead to more risk of cavities, gum disease, bad breath, and canker sores. (Source)
Beyond oral health, your oral microbiome also has an impact on your overall health and manhood.
Your mouth is the first stage of digestion. The first part is obviously chewing, but as you chew, you mix your food with saliva. A healthy mouth microbiome includes good bacteria that helps convert nitrates and nitrites into nitric oxide. (Source)
In fact, your body can’t produce nitric oxide without these beneficial oral bacteria. Studies show using mouthwash can kill these essential oral bacteria for up to 12 hours. (Source)
For those unfamiliar, nitric oxide plays a vital role in the body by relaxing your blood vessels to increase blood flow and nutrient delivery in the body.
Here are some potential side effects when you have low nitric oxide:
- Erectile dysfunction
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Decreased strength and endurance
- Slow muscle recovery
When we created Legendary Men’s Care toothpaste, we wanted to focus on killing the “bad” bacteria that cause cavities, bad breath, and gum disease… while leaving the “good” bacteria to do its work in taking care of the body.
We did this by removing the harsh chemicals commonly used in toothpaste and mouthwash, and replacing them with specific natural ingredients. We talk more about mouthwash in our blog "Is Your Mouthwash Wrecking Your Manhood AND Oral Health?".
As mentioned in our previous blogs, ingredients such as ginger extract, cinnamon extract, and xylitol actually target the bad bacteria without destroying the good bacteria. This helps maintain and promote proper balance to optimize men’s oral and physical health.
2. Be Careful With Oral Care Abrasives
You only get one set of adult teeth in your lifetime, so you need to treat them well!
There have been many misconceptions and fad movements when it comes to oral care and some can cause harm.
You need to be cautious about what you use on your teeth, because using a method that is too abrasive can wear down your enamel.
Enamel is the hard outer layer of the tooth that protects it, and the bad thing is if you wear it off, it doesn’t grow back.
Once you have worn through your enamel, you expose what's called the dentin. This part of the tooth is actually soft and living. It is not nearly as resistant as the enamel is, and if you expose it your teeth can become very sensitive, and have higher risk for decay.
Dentin is also not white like enamel, so when it’s exposed it may appear yellow which can be unsightly.
Since protecting your enamel is so important, here are some ways you can do it.
a. Only Use Soft Bristle Toothbrushes
Men like extreme things! The more rigid and powerful the better right?
A stiff bristle brush may seem like it has more cleaning power. You get the satisfying feeling that you just scrubbed your teeth into oblivion.
But just because a stiff bristle brush is great for removing grime from an old engine block, it’s not great for your teeth.
Think of your teeth more like original paint on a mint ‘62 Corvette. You want to gently polish away the grim while removing as little paint as possible. You would never think of taking a wire brush to it.
Along with damaging your teeth, studies from the ADA also show you can do serious damage to your gums with stiff bristles.
Dental plaque is soft, so a soft bristle toothbrush is more than enough to remove it. It will also minimize the damage you do to your teeth and gums.
b. Be Careful With Fad Clays And Charcoal
Since more people have become concerned with chemicals in toothpaste, some have resorted to creating their own. Often these methods involve mixing some sort of clay with coconut oil.
Mud racing is cool! But mud in your mouth… not so cool.
You need to be careful with how you use these methods. Too much clay, even if it is very fine, can prematurely wear your teeth. You only need a very small amount of abrasives in your toothpaste, and if you go too far you can cause damage.
There are also different types of clay, and if you get the wrong kind with too big of particle size, it can be like brushing your teeth with rough grit sandpaper.
Another one that has become very popular is charcoal.
Charcoal toothpaste makes some high claims that it can help whiten your teeth, although studies have shown that not to be true. (Source)
What is true is charcoal can also be very abrasive and damage your enamel. While you might see some temporary whitening from sanding off surface stains, long term use can be hazardous. There have actually been a number of class action lawsuits against charcoal toothpaste brands for this reason.
Legendary Men’s Care toothpaste only uses tested abrasive ingredients such as calcium carbonate and hydrated silica, which have both been used safely in the dental space for decades.
In addition, we include nano hydroxyapatite which studies show may be able to help rebuild and heal damage to your enamel. It also promotes healthy teeth by remineralizing teeth to help prevent tooth decay. (Source)
I hope this helped give you some insight on the importance of oral care, and how to do it correctly. We cover more ingredients you want to avoid in our blog - The 8 Dirty Ingredients Toothpaste Brands Don’t Want You Looking Into
We are working hard to give you all the tools you need to be the man you were made to be.
If you have any feedback or topics you would like to see covered, email me at kyle@legendarymenscare.com. And be sure to check out our other blog post!
As always, we got your back!
Joe, Kyle, and Clark
Your Legendary Men’s Care team
