Article by Dr. Butch Hutchison
Do you think that how many cavities you have only has an affect on how your mouth feels? Well, think again. More and more recent research has shown that your oral health and your dental hygiene actually has a strong affect on your overall health. Oral health and overall health have a strong connection, making good dental hygiene even more important than previously thought.
Your mouth is the main place that bacteria enters your body. Problems with your mouth, like gum disease or tooth decay, can be both an indicator of a more serious problem affecting your overall body and can be a precursor to the spread of disease throughout your body.
Your mouth and your health
Your mouth is full of bacteria. This isn’t really that much of a concern to you, as long as you brush regularly–after all meals and snacks, and in the morning and before you go to bed. You also need to floss every day. Your saliva, believe it or not, is also one of your body’s key lines of defense against bacteria causing serious harm to your mouth and your body through certain bacteria-destroying enzymes. However, if the dangerous and harmful bacteria in your mouth get out of control, then they can result in a serious case of gum disease, otherwise known as periodontitis.
Think that periodontitis only affects your gums? That’s not exactly the case. Your gums are one way that your body keeps bacteria from entering into your bloodstream. When bacteria gets into your bloodstream, that’s when problems become really bad.
If you end up with gum disease, periodontitis, it’s as if a gate is opened and bacteria is welcomed into your bloodstream. Really invasive dental treatments and surgeries can also allow bacteria into your bloodstream, such as dental implants. Similarly, any medications that you take or any other medical treatment that cuts down on the amount of saliva that your body produces can allow harmful bacteria to multiply in your mouth and gums and get into your bloodstream. This inflammation and bacteria leads to more problems with your overall health.
Health problems linked to gum diseaseNeed more proof to convince you of the importance of taking care of your mouth? Here are some of the main diseases and health problems that have been linked to periodontitis and other gum disease.
Premature birthGum disease has been linked to premature birth. How? Because certain organisms in a woman’s mouth can make their way into the amniotic fluid and placenta. These organisms trigger premature birth. However, periodontal disease has to be treated before pregnancy so that the disease doesn’t spread throughout the body before pregnancy.
Cardiovascular diseaseThe following cardiovascular diseases and problems have been linked to poor oral health: stroke, bacterial endocarditis, heart disease, and clogged arteries. It’s possible that bacteria from your mouth can travel through your blood stream to your heart, affecting its health.
DiabetesDiabetes has a two way relationship with poor oral health. Diabetes itself can result in dry mouth, tooth loss, gum disease, increased cavities, and other oral infections. However, poor dental health can end up in making your diabetes harder for you to control. Infections can increase your blood sugar levels, making you use more insulin.
HIV/AIDSSome of the first signs of AIDS will show up in your mouth: severe gum infection. You also might see lesions and white spots on your tongue.
OsteoporosisThe first stages of osteoporosis and bone density loss can be detected in your mouth, through normal dental X-rays.
Good dental hygiene will not only improve your oral health, but it can also help your overall health improve and protect against the development of more serious diseases
About the Author
Dr. Butch Hutchison, DDS, is a popular Fort Worth, Texas dentist specializing in Smile Makeovers, Dental Implants and Fort Worth Sedation Dentistry. Visit the Fort Worth Dental Center or call (817) 361-5620 for more information on how Dr. Hutchison can help to restore your brilliant smile.
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