The Connection between Your Oral and General Health
The Connection between Your Oral and General Health
We all know that we have to brush and floss after every meal to have healthy and attractive teeth. How many of us actually do that? To encourage you to keep up with a good dental health routine, it’s important to know that your oral health can affect every part of your general health as well. So, here’s how your teeth and your body are connected and what kind of issues you’re exposing yourself to if you don’t take care of your teeth. Here’s a brief look at the connection between your oral and general health.
Dental health and heart issues
Not brushing and flossing your teeth every day can cause a serious build-up of grime and bacteria on the surface of the tooth.
This plaque build-up can boost your chances of suffering a stroke or heart attack. While we know that cholesterol can block arteries, it’s not the only thing to fear. According to research, bacteria in dental plaque can also block arteries. Plaque can end up in the bloodstream and become lodged in heart arteries which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.
Dental health and diabetes
Diabetics should pay special attention to their teeth health, especially when it comes to their gums. Gum infections and other diseases can cause various complications with diabetes. Periodontitis or gum inflammation is a serious issue that causes gums to pull away from teeth and cause gaps. These gaps are very sensitive to infections. People with diabetes who also suffer from gum infections have more issues when absorbing insulin medication that controls their blood sugar levels. In turn, high blood sugar worsens the infections of the gum—it’s a vicious circle. So every diabetic should brush their teeth regularly and see an expert as soon as they notice any issues with the gums.
Dental health and lung issues
No matter how hard you try to avoid mouth breathing, some air will flow through your mouth and get into your lungs. In case you have a lot of bacteria in the mouth, these microscopic pests can reach your lungs, causing pneumonia and other lung problems. Elderly people should be particularly careful of this and take good care of their teeth, dentures and oral cavity since catching pneumonia can be deadly in old age.
Dental health and mental health
People who have chipped crowns, missing teeth or yellow teeth often exhibit signs of low self-esteem, social anxiety and even depression.
The pressure to have perfect teeth can leave a person feeling less-than and cause them to avoid smiling, eating and talking in public and even leave them closed off from the rest of the world. If you have any of these dental issues, it’s important to know that they can be fixed with modern dentistry and good hygiene. All you have to do is find an experienced dentist working with a top-tier dental laboratory and you’ll have many dental services at your disposal. From crowns and bridges to implants and removable prosthetic restorations, they will provide you with the smile of your dreams and remove a lot of your insecurities.
Dental health and pregnancy
It’s well-known that pregnancy leaves many women with a variety of dental issues that persist even after childbirth. Why is that? Well, your hormone levels skyrocket during pregnancy and they can affect many dental issues. But that’s not the most alarming thing! There’s a lot of evidence that shows that gum infections can increase the risk of premature childbirth or birth with low birth weight. If you want to protect both yourself and your baby during pregnancy, make sure to maintain good dental health during those critical 9 months.
From affecting your heart, lungs, mental health and your unborn baby, oral health is a very important part of your general health. And what’s more, it’s very easy to follow a good dental hygiene routine wherever you are, so there are no excuses!
