Imagine eating your favorite ice cream only to find out that there’s severe pain in your mouth when doing so. Or realizing that your colleagues are uncomfortable sitting next to you because of bad breath due to not looking after your teeth.
We use our mouths for many essential activities every single day such as eating, drinking, and talking. These are activities that are essential to survive and move around in the world. Neglecting oral care can eventually result in health problems that can make it extremely problematic to perform simple activities, like eating, and it can even hamper the enjoyment one derives from consuming their favorite foods.
New research from Institute of Medicine (US) Board on Health Care Services has revealed that our oral health is indeed linked to the health of the rest of the body. That being said, let’s take a look at some important reasons to look after your teeth:
1. Prevent Tooth Decay
Failing to regularly brush and floss can lead to tooth decay.
When food is consumed, the sugars in the food are broken down by the naturally present bacteria in the mouth. However, this sugar is broken down into acid that’s damaging for the teeth. Prolonged exposure to this acid can cause the enamel to break down, eventually resulting in tooth decay. This applies even to healthy foods, so it’s important to look after your teeth regularly, irrespective of the kind of food consumed. And if you experience tooth decay or simply want to enhance your smile, be sure to check out dental veneers based in South barrington.
The consequences of tooth decay are severe and manifold. It can lead to a constant sensation of pain, which could make people lose their appetite. If the pain continues, it could even hamper a person’s work, sleep, and general health.
When it gets worse, the bacteria could spread from the pulp to the periodontal tissues in the mouth. This can cause serious inflammation and, in some cases, the formation of a dental abscess, which is the buildup of pus inside the teeth and gums.
Some individuals tend to be at a higher risk of developing tooth decay. These include:
- People who don’t get enough fluoride.
- Those who don’t produce enough saliva, either due to medicines or illnesses.
- Older people, who tend to have receding gums, increasing the risk of decay because more teeth are exposed.
- Babies and children who drink from bottles, especially if they’re given juice or milk at bedtime. This can prolong the exposure of their teeth to sugars that cause damage.
The simple act of ensuring to brush and floss to look after your teeth daily can lower the risk of tooth decay.
2. Prevent Bad Breath
If you don’t clean your mouth regularly, you are bound to develop bad breath. This can cause a lot of discomfort for the people around you. Most importantly, you’ll feel less confident and stressed out because of other’s people response toward you.
Maintaining good oral hygiene can help prevent socially uncomfortable situations. Book an appointment with a dentist through grovecitydentalofblackfoot.com so you can regularly maintain your oral health.
3. Reduce The Risk Of Heart Attack
Disease-causing oral bacteria can easily spread to other parts of the body. The heart is no exception to this. Oral bacteria can reach the heart through the bloodstream. This oral bacterium can get stuck in various sections of the body, and if it stays for too long in the heart, it can result in infections inside the heart lining. It can also lead to the development of other complicated conditions that increase the chances of cardiac arrests.
People with untreated periodontal disease are twice as likely to have a heart attack. Simply getting the periodontal disease treated when looking after your teeth helps reduce this risk.
4. Less Risk of Stroke
Oral bacteria from gum diseases that have entered the blood have been found in the plaques that are present inside blood vessels that are associated with cardiac arrests and strokes.
According to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, people with periodontitis were at a higher risk of having an ischemic stroke. This happens when a blood vessel in the brain gets blocked by a blood clot. This restricts blood from flowing to the brain, causing the death of brain cells within minutes.
People with periodontitis also displayed a stroke survival rate that’s less than 10 years compared to patients without periodontitis. It’s important, therefore, to have periodontal disease treated so as to lower one’s risk of having a stroke.
5. Reduced Effects Of High Blood Sugar
Type 2 diabetes and oral diseases appear to be linked. The National Institute of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases stated that in uncontrolled diabetes, high glucose or sugar is present in the saliva. The presence of this glucose in the mouth encourages the growth of bacteria that can result in the onset of a variety of gum diseases. High glucose also promotes the growth of thrush, a type of fungal infection.
Diabetics are prone to experience dry mouth, making them more likely to develop cavities in their teeth. This shows that type 2 diabetes can cause oral diseases, and dental issues can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes so look after your teeth.
Diabetes impairs a person’s healing mechanism and also hinders their immunity, making it harder for them to fight infections. Diabetes worsens existing dental problems and that’s why it’s crucial to take excellent care of one’s oral health.
6. Lower the Possibility Of A Preterm Birth
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gum issues can be linked to low birth weight and preterm birth. The CDC has stated that anywhere between 60-75% of pregnant women tend to have gingivitis and that hormonal changes make them more vulnerable to dental diseases.
This makes it extremely crucial for pregnant women to ensure that their oral health is in excellent condition. Sometimes, women may feel that a visit to the dentist isn’t as important, but this is far from true. Maintaining excellent oral hygiene can be beneficial for both the expecting mother and the baby.
7. Alleviate Metabolic Syndrome
Described as a series of conditions that occur together, metabolic syndrome may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases. These conditions include high blood sugar and high blood pressure, high blood fats (cholesterol), and abdominal obesity.
Periodontal diseases are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and stroke. This implies that it could possibly be linked to metabolic syndrome as well. According to research published in the Dental Research Journal, periodontal diseases and metabolic syndrome are connected because of a common pathophysiological pathway that includes inflammation.
Another study by the Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology indicates that periodontal disease must be considered as a part of the conditions that come with metabolic syndrome. However, more research into this is required to establish a definite connection between metabolic syndrome and periodontal disease. Make sure you look after your teeth.
8. Lowered Risk Of Lung Diseases
Just like oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream and impact heart health, it can also be inhaled directly from the mouth into the lungs. This can lead to the onset of bacterial illnesses like pneumonia.
Simply brushing one’s teeth could reduce the possibility of acquiring pneumonia. New findings have also shown that dental diseases can worsen lung infections. When bacteria from the upper throat and the back of the mouth enter the respiratory tract, they can further infect the lungs.
9. Reduces Likelihood Of Cancer
A 2018 study conducted by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute followed close to 7,500 patients over 15 years and found that those who had severe gum diseases were 24% more likely to have cancer later on. It was also found that they were particularly susceptible to developing lung and colorectal cancer. This was the case even amongst those who weren’t smoking.
Cancer patients may be at greater risk of dental illnesses as they have weakened immune systems and less effective resources for fighting infections. Chemotherapy also causes the body’s immune system to weaken, thereby making it more likely for cancer patients to develop oral diseases.
Radiation therapy could also damage certain glands that can result in dry mouth. This, again, could increase the chances of developing cavities. The connection between cancer and periodontitis is growing as newer studies are published. Therefore, when a person is diagnosed with cancer, they must understand that maintaining their oral health shouldn’t be neglected and is vital during and after the treatment.
10. Detect Osteoporosis Early
The National Institute of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center stated that dental X-rays could be used as screening tools for osteoporosis. This is because osteoporosis causes bone loss, affecting the teeth and the bones surrounding the mouth.
Similarly, catching osteoporosis in its early stages could help improve dental health and women with osteoporosis are three times more prone to losing their teeth. Although more research is needed, there may be a connection between osteoporosis and periodontal disease. Bone issues make people more vulnerable to oral bacteria.
This makes it essential to visit the dentist regularly as they could help detect osteoporosis in its early stages.
11. Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer’s
Although more studies may be needed to confirm this, some research shows that bacteria from the mouth could end up in the brain for people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Bacteria that cause gingivitis have been seen to move from the mouth to the brain, releasing a protein that damages nerve cells in the brain, thereby causing memory loss and Alzheimer’s. The bacteria by itself doesn’t cause Alzheimer’s, but it massively increases the risk for developing brain disease, which can lead to a rapid progression.
Taking care of one’s oral health could prevent or slow down the onset of Alzheimer’s.
12. Help Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory illness that impacts the body’s joints. The link between RA and oral health is through inflammation since the treatment of periodontal disease focuses on lowering the body’s total inflammation. When there’s lesser bacteria, it lowers the body’s inflammatory response, and this, in turn, reduces joint pain and other problems that come with arthritis.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly which of these ailments comes first, and this is because there’s no clear information between the cause and effect. Different studies have stated different findings—some say that people with RA are four times more likely to develop gum diseases while others claim that Porphyromonas gingivatis, the bacterium that leads to periodontal disease, could be a trigger for autoimmune disease in a subgroup of RA patients. Some studies state that Porphyromonas gingivalis may exacerbate the severity of RA.
Although more clarity is needed regarding this, both gum diseases and RA have a common factor, which is inflammation. Maintaining good oral health could help control inflammation, which may reduce the severity of RA.
13. Lowers Risk of Kidney Diseases
Poor oral health appears to worsen kidney disease, and that there indeed exists a link between oral health and kidney diseases. According to a study conducted by the Journal of Periodontology, those with advanced periodontal disease were four times more likely to develop kidney diseases.
In a different study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, it was found that over 14 years, the mortality rate of people with kidney disease increased from 32% to 41% if they developed periodontal disease.
Oral decay and gum disease could cause complicated infections that can wreak havoc on people who already have kidney disease. Patients with kidney disease often have weakened immunity and are more likely to develop bacterial infections in the mouth.
Final Thoughts
The human body is a complex and interconnected system. Because of this, taking care of its different aspects can automatically result in good health for another related part of the body. Maintaining good oral health by taking simple steps daily such as brushing your teeth regularly, flossing properly, and visiting your dentist can help prevent the development of plenty of other diseases across the body—not to mention it can prevent the day when you can’t eat your favorite sweets.
