If your employer offers you insurance for dental plans, that’s fantastic, because many people have little option but to go without that kind of coverage for years, if not their entire lifetime.

Reflecting on the staggering proportions that medical and insurance bills can take on, it’s common for regular people to be susceptible to feelings of discouragement on the subject. Even just seeking out more information on the subject can seem daunting because the preconceived notion that insurance is out of reach can prove overwhelming. But the search for a correct dental health plan is just as important as the many (and multifaceted) benefits it contributes to one’s wellbeing.

If something is not right with your teeth, the unfavorable conditions they present could lead to impairments with speech development or even with nutrient absorption. Teeth are elemental to these two processes and any breakdown in them can have grave consequences. That is why if a dental PPO deal works for you, you should avail yourself of all it can offer you. Although some claim that the big premium modern society places on physical appearance is superficial or unimportant, the psychological effects that such societal pressures have on people are not by any measure “superficial” or “unimportant.”

Being able to keep up with your changing body’s needs as you progress from infancy, childhood, adulthood, and old age will most likely require the periodic intervention of medical professionals. Even if you have no dental or vision insurance, understanding the many physical changes a person experiences throughout the course of what can amount to more or less a century is vital.

It certainly helps a bunch, too, to not skimp on flossing. If you want a bright smile well into your nineties and hundreds, brush regularly and with a gentle hand. Using common sense never hurt anyone, either, and if you restrict the amount of unhealthy foods you consume, you’ll be in good form each time you’re asked to stay “cheese” right before a flash goes off. Steady efforts pay off. So after you’ve reached your own individual age of reason, don’t misspend your cerebral gifts. Use you common sense and aptitude for learning to discover oral health every year of your life.

Sam Walters is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her writing appears in print and online.