How Dental Health can Impact Overall Health
It is a scarcely known fact that your dental health is in fact the window to your overall health. All the clues to what might be wrong with your health can be found in your mouth. Just like any part of your body, your mouth is filled with all kinds of bacteria – good and bad. Some of these bacteria can cause diseases as your mouth is an opening, leading up to your vital organs like your trachea, lungs, stomach, and intestines. These bacteria can cause lethal damage to your digestive and your respiratory systems.
According to dentists, good oral hygiene like brushing, flossing and scraping your tongue on a daily basis help a lot with keeping these diseases at bay. However, bad oral hygiene bacteria can cause trouble and you might suffer from various oral infections and tooth decay along with gum infections.
If you’re on medication, you have to take good care of your oral health because some medications like decongestants, painkillers, antidepressants can reduce the flow of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is an important factor for the upkeep of oral health because it washes down food and neutralizes all the bacteria that enter your mouth. It helps dissipate the microbes that can increase in number and cause diseases. Taking extra precautions if you take these medicines on a regular basis is essential for overall health.
What adverse effects can bad oral health have?
Lack of good oral health can lead to inflammation and gum disease that can lead to even more diseases. This situation can get even tougher if you suffer from autoimmune diseases that stunt your recovery from these oral diseases. Diseases like HIV/AIDS and diabetes can lower your chances of a quick and easy recovery from what might seem like a manageable oral infection and lead to several more problems. These diseases might not be as easy to deal with as an oral infection. Hence oral hygiene is a must for everybody.
What are some diseases that are very often linked with oral health?
Here are some diseases that are very often linked to your oral health and contribute to them.
- Endocarditis: When germs from another part of your body settle on the inner lining of your heart chambers or valves, this causes serious heart complications
- Cardiovascular Disease: Inflammation and oral bacteria are rumored to cause clogged arteries and, in some cases, even strokes. Even though the reason is not completely understood, many studies have linked bad oral health to cardiovascular diseases.
- Pregnancy and birth complications: In several cases periodontitis (severe gum disease) has been linked with birth complications like premature birth and alarmingly low birthweight of the infant.
- Pneumonia: Due to the bacteria being dragged into the respiratory system, infections can spread and cause pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
How to protect your oral health?
Protecting your dental and oral health is extremely essential. It is advised by dentists that one must brush their teeth twice a day and replace their toothbrush every 3-4 months along with other measures such as flossing on a daily basis,( Don’t mention mouth wash, we don’t recommend mouth wash as a substitute or compliment brushing) Eating a healthy diet and having regular checkups with a dentist is advised.
If you are in immediate need of a dentist in Narre Warren, Victor Cresent Dental clinic is the place to go. Here at Victor Crescent Dental Clinic, we have been providing dental care to patients in Narre Warren for over 30 years. Along with our very experienced dentist, we have an incredibly friendly and supportive staff. To book an appointment, feel free to give us a call.