Cleaning Your Teeth and Systemic Health
Do you brush and floss after every meal? Keep up with your professional teeth cleanings? You know how vital these things are to help ensure the good health of your teeth and gums. But you may not know just how vital of a role clean and healthy teeth play in systemic health. Many people aren’t aware of the connection between oral and full-body wellness until there is an issue they need to be seen for.
Learning more about the connection between clean and healthy teeth and the health of the rest of your body could help set you on the right path to whole-body wellness.
The Importance of the Oral-Systemic Connection
Your oral hygiene and health can have an impact on your overall health. At the same time, systemic health can have an impact on your oral health. Systemic health refers to a range of disorders and diseases in your body.
Think of your mouth as being a type of gateway to the rest of your body. Using recommended brushing techniques, adhering to a healthy diet, and keeping up with checkups at your dentist can each directly influence your psychological and physical health.
There is often a misconception that issues in the mouth are unrelated to issues with the rest of the body. In truth, no one can be considered to be completely healthy without having healthy teeth and gums.
Your oral health can have a marked impact on your overall health, just as your systemic health (which refers to diseases and disorders such as diabetes or high blood pressure) can impact your oral wellness.
Even a healthy mouth has bacteria. Without proper oral hygiene, the levels of bacteria can grow almost exponentially and potentially lead to cavities, the loss of one or more teeth, gum disease, and even painful dental abscesses.
Understanding Poor Oral Health
The majority of dental diseases can be prevented with good oral hygiene and routine visits to see your hygienist and dentist. Poor oral health refers to active diseases in the mouth, or risk factors that could potentially lead to dental problems. Cavities and more serious tooth decay, along with gum disease, are bacterial infections that typically progress in severity if they are not addressed promptly.
The consequences of not prioritizing good oral health can lead to tooth loss but can also result in problems in other parts of the body. That said, the issues in your mouth can be quite severe if you aren’t prioritizing brushing and flossing your teeth.
- Some of these issues could include the following:
- Pain in one or more teeth. The pain could be so severe that it disrupts your sleep and quality of life.
- Loss of one or more teeth can lead to a wide variety of consequences, including impacting your ability to chew correctly.
- Teeth around the space left by the lost teeth can shift, crack, or have the surrounding gums recede.
- Poor oral hygiene is the number one cause of bad breath. Not even chewing minty gum can combat an issue that needs dental intervention.
- Cosmetic concerns are often something people struggle with after losing teeth. Even losing back teeth can result in a negative impact on your smile.
It’s also important to note that chewing is the very first step in the digestion process. Those who have lost one or more teeth can often struggle with digestive issues that result from food that hasn’t been chewed correctly.
The Trouble with Systemic Issues
Infections and inflammation that originate in the mouth rarely stay just in the mouth. They can rapidly spread and lead to infection and inflammation in other areas of the body. In situations where there are serious dental infections, they can potentially enter the bloodstream and even impact the health of your heart.
Consider periodontal (gum) disease. This is a chronic inflammatory disease that can ultimately impact your immune system and your body’s ability to focus on healing itself when needed. Chronic inflammation is always something to be aware of, no matter where it is found in the body.
There have been a large number of studies that have shown a link between oral wellness and certain systemic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease. There has even been evidence of bacteria most often found in gum disease being located in the spinal column and even the brain.
Women who are expecting should also be aware that poor oral health has been connected to lower birth weight.
So, while we’d like to think that problems that happen in our mouths stay in our mouths, they rarely do. This is why it’s so important that you prioritize a healthy at-home routine and keep up with your dental cleanings. A healthy mouth, with healthy teeth and gums, can go a long way toward promoting a healthy body. Healthy teeth allow you to enjoy a well-balanced diet that doesn’t restrict specific foods because of their temperature or because they may be harder to chew.
Good Oral Hygiene Starts at Home
So, what is the cause of most dental problems? Dental plaque that accumulates on and between the teeth. The bad news? It accumulates on your teeth every day. The great news? It’s pretty easy to remove by brushing and flossing after meals, before bed, and in the morning.
Ensure that you’re enjoying a balanced diet. This can mean limiting foods that can increase acid in the mouth, such as sodas, coffee, and tea. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a cup of coffee with breakfast in the morning. Just be mindful of how much acid that cup of coffee could be contributing to your mouth.
Limit sweets due to their high sugar content. The bacteria in your mouth loves sugar and will lead to an increase in plaque after every delicious sweet cookie or lollipop. Consider sugar-free options that are somewhat better for the health of your teeth.
The use of tobacco products can result in a host of issues for your mouth and your body. Tobacco users often struggle with dry mouth, tooth decay, and tooth loss. Speak to your doctor about halting your use of tobacco products.
Drink lots of water. Not only is it important to keep your body hydrated, but lots of fresh water can help to rinse your mouth of food debris after meals and can also help to promote the production of saliva.
The connection between clean and healthy teeth and your overall health is clear. Prioritizing the health of your teeth and gums can help to improve your total health. Keep up with your oral hygiene steps at home and schedule a checkup with your dentist and oral hygienist. The sooner that potential issues are caught, the lower the potential risk will be for serious health concerns.
