The Surprising Difference Between Men’s and Women’s Oral Health Habits

Whether men are from Mars or women are from Venus, there are untold differences between the way men do things and the way women do those same things. In fact, sometimes these differences are obvious – just ask any woman who’s fallen in after someone else left the toilet seat up – but in many other ways, these differences are much more subtle.

One of the most surprising areas where these differences occur is in the realm of oral health. Brushing, flossing, and going to the dentist regularly are universal for both men and women, but it turns out there are indeed major differences in the kind of oral health needs when it comes to the ever-raging battle of the sexes. Here’s how we differ.

Women May Have Better Overall Oral Health Habits

When it comes to maintaining the overall health of your teeth and gums, it looks like women might have an advantage. According to research conducted by the American Dental Association, women are around twice as likely to have better oral health than men, based on a sample of 800 men and women between the ages of 18 and 19.

It’s unclear why women tend to take better care of their teeth than their male counterparts. There could be any number of reasons why women are edging out men so definitively, but overall health concerns may be at play here. Due to the changes that women’s bodies go through during events such as pregnancy and menopause – as many as 3 out of 4 women experience gingivitis during pregnancy, for example – women may simply pay attention to biological health necessities more than men.

Men Often Need More Trips to the Dentist to Fix Their Problems

Anyone can end up with dental health issues. From cavities to root canals to gingivitis to periodontitis, an oral health concern can see you ending up in the chair of your local dentist’s office no matter how many X chromosomes you may have. However, because men do tend to demonstrate fewer good oral health practices than women, it is more common to see men in the waiting room of your dentist office.

What’s worse, men who do submit to going to the dentist often wait until the last minute or until there’s a serious issue to be addressed. In fact, women are much more likely to schedule regular wellness checkups than men are, as men will usually reserve visits for when they’re in pain or discomfort.

Since men often play more physically demanding sports, they also tend to suffer trauma to their teeth and mouths more regularly as well; whether it’s getting tackled too forcefully in football or catching a hockey puck to the face while on the ice, the number of broken teeth that dentists have to deal with are predominantly from men as well.

Some Things Are Always the Same

Oral health is an important part of anyone’s general wellness, and that goes for men as much as it does for women. While men certainly do lag behind currently when it comes to pursuing good oral health care and preventative dental office visits, women aren’t immune from dental trauma or suffering from poor oral health practices.

That makes it crucial, no matter if you’re a man or a woman, to take steps today to provide better oral care for yourself. Additionally, now is the time to instill good dental care practices for your children, as time spent brushing and flossing today means less time spent getting fillings tomorrow – and everyone of both sexes can see the benefits of that.