We all know that you should floss and brush your teeth daily. However, you may be surprised to learn that cleaning your teeth does more than just prevent tooth decay and cavities and keep the mouth pearly white. Having good oral health also enhances your overall well-being.
Dental health is important for your overall well-being, and you should not overlook it. It is linked to the entire body, meaning that problems in your gums and teeth can lead to other conditions like cardiac diseases. This article will focus on how your oral health affects your overall health.
Ways Poor Oral Health Affects the Overall Health
Besides bad breath and yellowish teeth, poor oral health can cause other health issues detrimental to your overall health. Here are some of the critical problems:
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is an acute infectious disease affecting the heart’s inner lining. Particular species of bacteria can cause endocarditis, and you can contract it through oral contact. It can affect any part of the heart, but it is most commonly linked to valve damage, which prevents blood from flowing backward by closing and opening as needed.
The causes of endocarditis are usually bacterial infections in teeth or gums that cause severe damage and inflammation after a tooth extraction or gum surgery.
Heart Disease
Oral bacteria can also cause heart disease or at least contribute to it. The plaque contributes to the hardening of arteries, leading to coronary artery disease, stroke, and other issues.
Oral bacteria can also cause cardiovascular disease as they can travel in your blood and lead to inflammation of the arteries, forming atherosclerosis. When parts of the artery start to thicken, they can rupture, leading to a heart attack or other issues.
Diabetes
Swelling in the mouth can weaken your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. When your blood sugar levels rise uncontrollably, you may have health complications. Oral health causes swelling of tissues internally and in the mouth, weakening your body’s ability to use insulin and control blood sugar. The condition has a cyclic impact since hyperglycemia creates a good condition for oral bacteria to develop, worsening the problem.
Loss of Appetite
Poor oral health can also cause discomfort, pain, and other issues that can lead to loss of appetite, low self-esteem, and depression. Based on a study on poor oral health, different factors, such as poor dentition, wearing dentures, and mouth dryness, lead to loss of appetite. Lacking food appetite can make you minimize your nutrient intake leading to weight loss.
Osteoporosis
Oral health and osteoporosis are also linked. You can get osteoporosis when the inner part of your bones demineralizes, leading to weak bones. Dental illnesses, such as gum diseases and dental cavities, can make your bones more fragile. The inflammation caused by trauma to the mouth can weaken your bones since it reduces the production of collagen, which is essential for bone growth.
Stunted Growth in Children
Poor oral health can also lead to stunted growth in your children. Poor oral hygiene can cause dental caries that can lead to swelling and oral infection, which can cause a reduced appetite, mouth pain, inadequate sleep, inability to chew food, and persistent chronic swelling. When these factors are coupled with aspects like breastfeeding and your child’s nutrition, they can cause undernutrition.
Good Oral Health Improves Overall Health
Caring for your mouth and teeth can boost your overall health by preventing some of the above issues from occurring. Brushing for two minutes before you go to bed helps to prevent gum and tooth disease. A morning routine of brushing, flossing, and mouthwash can also help prevent gum disease, bad breath, and cavities. In addition, reading an oral health book will give you more insights into how to control your oral health and how your mouth affects your quality of life and overall health.
In addition, brushing your teeth daily with fluoride toothpaste after every meal boosts oral health and promotes the prevention of plaque, tooth decay, and cavities. Doing proper oral hygiene will improve self-esteem since it positively impacts your appearance. You should also regularly visit a pediatric dentist for dental checkups to prevent the likelihood of having an oral problem.
Conclusion
Oral health is crucial to your general health because of the link between oral and overall health. While you can’t cure a problem with the toothbrush, you can prevent many of the health problems listed above by maintaining good oral hygiene and taking care of your teeth and gums.
Maintaining good oral health enhances overall health and prevents illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other issues that affect the heart. Poor oral hygiene also leads to a higher prevalence of cavities, bad breath, and tooth decay, among other sicknesses.
Source
https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-021-02169-y