Are Mouth Problems Related To Your Health?

It’s been said time and again that your oral health provides a window that can help you peep into your overall health. This is why oral health should be treated with the importance that it deserves. An experienced dentist can have general clues about the state of your health by looking at your mouth. This is because there are problems in your mouth that can affect other parts of your body. You can protect yourself by learning how your health can affect your teeth.

What’s the connection between oral health and overall health?

Your mouth, like the rest of your body, is teeming with germs, most of which are harmless. However, because your mouth is the gateway to your respiratory and digestive tracts, some of these microorganisms can cause sickness. Bacteria are normally held in check by the body’s defense mechanisms and regular oral health care, such as frequent brushing and flossing.

However, if adequate oral hygiene is not practiced, bacteria levels can rise to the point where they might cause oral infections such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Decongestants, pain relievers, diuretics, or antidepressants, for example, can all diminish saliva flow. Saliva sweeps away food and suppresses acids created by bacteria in the mouth, aiding in the protection of the body against microorganisms that reproduce and cause disease.

Oral germs and the irritation associated with a serious form of gum disease (periodontitis) may play a role in some disorders. Furthermore, certain conditions, such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS, can reduce the body’s response to infection, exacerbating oral health issues.

What conditions can be linked to oral health?

Your dental health may have a role in a variety of diseases and ailments, including:

1. Endocarditis. 

This infection of the inner layer of your heart chamber happens when bacteria or any other germs from some other part of your body, like your mouth, transmit through your veins and attach to specific locations in your heart.

2. Cardiovascular illness. 

Even though the link is not entirely established, some evidence suggests that irritation and infections caused by oral bacteria may be connected to heart disease, blocked arteries, and stroke.

3. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth. 

Premature birth and reduced birth weight have been tied to periodontitis.

4. Pneumonia. 

Some bacteria inside your mouth can enter your lungs and cause pneumonia as well as other respiratory ailments.

Protecting your oral health

Since you know that what happens in your mouth is connected to what happens to other parts of the body, you should put in place the right measures to protect your body. Make sure that you brush twice a day. Floss daily and eat a healthy diet that has little sugar. Replace your toothbrush after three to four months of use, or when the bristles are no longer in their best condition. Moreover, you need to organize with your dentist and schedule cleaning sessions regularly. Lifestyle changes such as reducing alcohol intake and tobacco use can also help you to improve your oral health…