Most of us know that good oral health helps to ensure that we keep our natural teeth and enjoy healthy gums. But what you may not know is that your oral health is actually strongly linked to your overall health, making it even more important to maintain a daily oral hygiene routine at home and visit your dentist regularly for exams and cleanings.
When we don’t practice good daily oral hygiene routines and visit the dentist for regular professional cleanings, the bacteria in our mouths can build up and lead to infections like gum disease. Studies conducted over the past several years have shown that there is a connection between the inflammation caused by gum disease and other diseases. Here’s what dental and health experts have determined with regard to how your oral health is linked to your overall health:
- Diabetes – Patients who suffer from diabetes are more prone to developing gum disease most likely due to the fact that diabetes makes the patient less resistant to infections. Studies have also demonstrated that periodontal treatment in diabetic patients helps them to more effectively control their diabetes.
- Heart disease – When bacteria from your mouth spreads through your bloodstream to other areas of your body, it often damages the heart, causing an infection in the inner lining of the heart referred to as endocarditis.
- Cardiovascular disease – Inflammation of the gums and oral bacteria have also been linked to clogged arteries, stroke, and heart disease.
- Osteoporosis – Bone loss in the jaw and tooth loss may be linked to osteoporosis, which is the disease that causes bones to weaken and break easily.
- Alzheimer’s disease – Patients suffering with Alzheimer’s disease also suffer with declining oral health over time.
- HIV/AIDS – Oral health issues are quite common in HIV/AIDS patients.
- Premature births – Studies have shown a link between gum disease and premature births in pregnant women.
That list is impressive enough, but research has also found that poor oral health is related to conditions such as cancers of the neck and head, eating disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and an immune system disease that causes the patient to experience a chronic dry mouth.
If maintaining healthy teeth and gums aren’t motivation enough to practice a daily oral hygiene routine at home and visit your dentist on a regular basis, maybe this list will help. Remember that when it comes to good oral health, there’s much more at stake than your teeth and gums!
