We all learn about cavity prevention through brushing our teeth. What not everyone knows is that having healthy teeth and gums can ward off an entire set of harmful diseases in the rest of your body. Your mouth is a reflection of your health, and neglecting it can bring on trouble far worse than toothache or an expensive visit to the dentist.
Research continues to find incredible connections between mouth diseases and body illnesses. Everyone needs to be more aware of brushing and flossing, and be sure to look for symptoms so that minor issues don’t turn into serious health problems.
The Secret Connection Between Your Mouth and Your Body
There are several hundred types of bacteria in your mouth. A majority of them don’t cause problems and are harmless, but if you don’t practice good oral hygiene, it allows disease-causing bacteria to grow and enter your bloodstream through bleeding gums or sore gums. Once inside, the bacteria can move to other organs and trigger inflammatory reactions within your body.
This infection by bacteria has been linked to many life-threatening medical conditions. Most well researched, perhaps, has been its connection to heart disease, where studies have revealed that those who have gum disease are much more likely to have cardiovascular disease. The same bacteria present in gum infections have also been identified in arterial plaques, creating a mouth-to-heart path.
Diabetes has one more chilling association. Gum disease makes blood glucose control more difficult, and elevated blood glucose levels provide an environment for the oral bacteria to flourish. It’s a vicious cycle where both diseases reinforce each other.
How Little Issues Become Big Menaces
Gum Disease: The Silent Destroyer
Gum disease progresses in stages, first with gingivitis—bleeding, red, inflamed gums. Most people ignore such initial symptoms as normal or as unimportant. Untreated gingivitis becomes periodontitis, in which bacteria begin to erode the tissues and bones that hold your teeth in place.
Severe gum disease creates deep gingival pockets between teeth and gums where the bacteria reside. The infected pockets give the bacteria pathways to your bloodstream and can damage your heart, lungs, and other organs.
Tooth Decay: Beyond Surface Damage
Tooth decay may appear to be a localised issue, but in the worst possible cases, it can result in infections that are life-threatening. After decay has invaded the nerve of a tooth, bacteria infect the bone and tissue around the tooth. In extreme cases, which are rare but have occurred, infections will move to the brain or the rest of the body and cause life-threatening illness.
The Social and Psychological Impact
Chronic halitosis, its most common cause being poor oral hygiene, affects not just social relationships. Its resultant shame and embarrassment can cause social isolation and lower quality of life. Similarly, apparent caries or tooth loss can severely influence one’s self-esteem and professional success.
Tooth loss creates other problems apart from appearance. Missing teeth make it difficult to chew, hence digestive problems and malnutrition can be created. Speech also changes, affecting communication as well as self-esteem. Need dental care in Tamworth? It’s time to act.
Taking Responsibility for Your Oral Health
The good news is that the majority of oral problems are totally avoidable with proper care and professional guidance on a routine basis. Brushing and flossing every day, and regular visits to your dentist, can avoid the vast majority of oral problems before they can establish themselves.
Don’t wait for pain or obvious symptoms. Most of the serious problems in your mouth catch you off guard when you least expect it, so detection and prevention are your best bet. Your mouth reflects and impacts your overall health—good care of it today can spare you from major health problems tomorrow.