Oral health and hygiene are important for many social reasons. No one like smelling bad breath or looking at unclean teeth when someone smiles. Oral health plays a big part in the health of the rest of our bodies too, giving dental hygiene a significant role in protecting our overall wellness. Here are five reasons why.
Gum Health Is Heart Health
Many studies have associated periodontitis, or gum disease, with an increased risk of heart disease. Periodontitis is a bacterial infection, and these bacteria can infect the bloodstream and affect the heart valves. There is also a correlation between adult tooth loss and coronary heart disease.
Straight teeth are easier to brush and make tooth cleaning much more effective. This leads to better gum health and prevents tooth loss. Tooth straightening through teeth braces or aligners, even in adulthood, can have a hugely positive effect on your oral health.
Have a look at what people have to say about their teeth straightening results with ALIGNERCO treatment. Not only do they have a cleaner and brighter smile, but they are also benefiting from better gum health. This simple treatment can straighten teeth and help protect your gums and your health in just a few weeks.
Better Teeth Means Better Digestion
Chewing your food is an important part of the digestion process. By mashing and masticating the food in your mouth, with the help of enzymes in your saliva, you begin digesting food before you swallow it.
Poor dental and oral health, leading to tooth loss, can prevent you from chewing your food properly putting extra pressure on the rest of your digestive system. This can lead to health problems in other parts of the body, such as the stomach and intestines. It can also contribute to irritable bowel syndrome and other digestion-related issues like Crohn’s Disease.
Having a regular oral health regimen that includes brushing and flossing can help prevent tooth loss and gum disease. Alongside regular check-ups, this can prevent tooth loss and gum disease that can affect your body’s digestive system. If you have damaged teeth, it is advisable to visit an experienced dentist who offers root canal treatments, dental implants, crowns, etc.
Poor Oral Health Is Linked To Diabetes
If you are suffering from poor oral health, particularly gum disease, then it may be a sign of a larger, underlying health condition. One of these could be diabetes.
People with diabetes are much more likely to suffer from gum disease than those who do not. This is because an elevated level of sugar in the blood can increase the sugar content of the saliva. This creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria in the mouth, as they can feed from the excess sugar and multiply. High blood pressure and hypertension caused by diabetes can also damage blood vessels in the gums which increases the chances of a bacterial infection.
If you are suffering from gum disease or poor oral health, you should look at the other symptoms of diabetes and consider getting tested for further signs by your family doctor.
Prevent Oral Cancers With Better Oral Hygiene
There are many kinds of oral cancers, and all pose a massive health risk unless treated early. Your general dentistry specialist will inspect areas of the mouth for signs of cancer when performing a check-up or cleaning, which is one of the reasons regular dental appointments are important.
People who smoke tobacco or other leaves, or chew tobacco, are at a greater risk of oral cancer. If you smoke or chew tobacco your dentist or hygienist should be able to tell, but make sure they know so that they can pay extra attention when checking your mouth for signs of cancer. Oral cancers in America affect around 50,000 people a year, and someone dies from oral cancer once every hour of the day.
Regular check-ups, a twice-daily dental hygiene regimen, and stopping smoking or chewing tobacco all help reduce the risk of oral and oropharyngeal (throat) cancers. These cancers can lead to further cancer in other areas of the body and must be treated quickly to prevent their spread.
Bone Diseases Can Cause Oral Health Problems
As with diabetes, bone diseases like osteoporosis can cause oral health problems making things like fractured and broken teeth or tooth loss a symptom of an underlying condition.
Osteoporosis is a bone weakening disease and your teeth are a part of your body’s bone structure, as are your finger and toenails. Cracked, pitted, fractured, or missing teeth could all be a sign of osteoporosis or another bone disease that can cause a bone to easily break or crack.
Some of the treatments for osteoporosis can also cause damage to the bones of the jaw, and people taking medication to treat bone weaknesses should pay close attention to jaw ache or tooth loss and talk to their doctor or dentist about it. Identifying and preventing the development of a serious dental condition requires understanding jaw pain as a possible side effect of osteoporosis medication.
With this information, it is easy to see why dental hygiene and oral health are so important. Protecting your teeth and gums protect the rest of you, so make sure you are following your dental hygiene regimen and attending regular appointments with your dentist.
