In PHP, what considerations should be taken into account when converting and formatting date values for database storage to ensure accurate and reliable data retrieval?

When converting and formatting date values for database storage in PHP, it is important to ensure that the date format is compatible with the database's date format. This helps to prevent any data loss or inconsistencies when retrieving the data later on. It is also crucial to properly validate and sanitize user input to avoid any SQL injection attacks.

// Example of converting and formatting date values for database storage
$userInputDate = $_POST['date'];

// Validate and sanitize user input
$sanitizedDate = date("Y-m-d", strtotime($userInputDate));

// Store the sanitized date in the database
// $query = "INSERT INTO table_name (date_column) VALUES ('$sanitizedDate')";