How Your Dental Health Affects Your Overall Health
Poor dental health can increase your chances of gum disease, periodontal disease, and tooth decay. Regular visits to your dentist can prevent these conditions and keep your oral health in check. However, research has shown that your overall health and dental health are connected. The health of your mouth can reflect the health of your body. When your mouth’s healthy, your overall health is too.
How is Oral Health Connected?
The mouth’s filled with up to 6 million bacteria, most of them harmless. Over time, if a person neglects to brush their teeth and floss, the bacteria will continue to grow, contributing to diseases such as gum disease and tooth decay. The body’s natural defenses can usually keep these bacteria under control when a person maintains good oral health, but without proper hygiene, that bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause that bacteria to spread to other parts of the body.
More than 90% of systemic diseases, or diseases involving the organs, have oral manifestations that contribute to the disease. However, poor oral hygiene can also be caused by certain conditions. Some conditions linked to poor oral health include:
Diabetes – As a chronic condition with numerous factors, a person with diabetes can eventually result in producing gum disease due to lower resistance to infections.
HIV/AIDS – Oral complications, such as lacerations of the mouth, can occur for those with HIV/AIDS.
Osteoporosis – When the bones become fragile, they can be subject to fracture, and may be connected with tooth loss and jaw bone loss.
Cancer – Oral cancer, leukemia, and other kinds of cancers can come from a result of improper oral hygiene, and when present, must be treated promptly, as it is a severe medical condition.
Heart Disease – Poor dental habits and heart disease have been shown to correlate, as the inflammation of the gums can contribute to illnesses such as endocarditis, clogged arteries, and stroke risks.
How to Maintain Good Oral Health
Visiting your dentist will help keep your mouth clean and healthy, and will allow your dentist to check up on your oral health over time. Dental exams can examine poor nutrition, hygiene, and development problems, and providing your dentist with a complete medical history will help further any connections you may have to your health. Other practices can include:
- Brush twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste.
- Floss daily to remove plaque.
- Eat a healthy diet to gain nutrients.
- Avoid cigarettes and tobacco.
Just like with any part of the body, maintaining a healthy oral care routine is a lifelong process. At Jacob Laudie Dental, we can perform dental checkups and exams for our patients with assurance and confidence. Under the excellent team of Dr. Jacob Laudie, you can be assured you’ll receive quality dental services at the most affordable prices. If you live in the Lees Summit, MO area, and you need a dentist, contact us to learn more about our services, our accepted insurance, and schedule an appointment today.