This article explains why good dental care matters and how it can contribute to your overall health. It also touches on orthodontics for teens and why Invisalign is quite popular right now. If you want to learn everything you need to know about dental care, continue reading.
What is good dental care?
Proper dental care is a combination of regular daily brushing and flossing. It also involves regularly visiting your dental care professional to make sure any possible issues are picked up before they become a bigger problem.
It also includes using mouthwash to get rid of small food particles that might be left behind after you have brushed and flossed. A good idea is to get a new toothbrush at least once every three months, preferably sooner if you can see that bristles are becoming worn and splayed.
Good oral health also involves eating a healthy diet that includes only a limited amount of added sugar, not using excessive amounts of alcohol, and trying to avoid tobacco use altogether.
The price of poor dental care
Missing, crooked, or diseased teeth or even worse, a misshapen jaw, will not only make chewing your food properly more difficult (and painful) than it has any right to be, it will also interfere with proper speech. Plus it could lead to costly corrective procedures.
Cavities are painful parts of your teeth where the enamel has decayed to expose the rot inside the tooth. Cold or hot food and also liquids will quickly send a painful signal that there is something wrong. The problem with cavities is that they will often not show any major symptoms until the tooth has been significantly damaged.
This is why it’s so important to regularly visit your dentist if you want to maintain not only healthy teeth but also healthy gums and a healthy mouth. The fact of the matter is that It’s much easier to treat early symptoms of tooth decay than to do something about advanced cases. As a result of recent developments in dental technology, treating tooth decay before it has advanced too much usually involves only slight discomfort. Modern medications numb the region of the decay and therefore eliminate any possible pain associated with filling the cavity.
Gum disease is another complication that can be caused by poor oral health. During the initial stages, it often appears to be mild, but if left untreated it can lead to much more serious problems. it could, for example, eventually cause infections, loss of teeth, and similar complications.
More serious health problems. Apart from complications to your gums and teeth, scientists have now discovered links between periodontal disease and other health issues such as strokes, heart complications, respiratory issues, and even diabetes. Read on to find out more.
How oral health is linked to your overall health
Few people realize exactly how important their oral health is. Are you aware that your oral health can often provide experts with a fairly good idea of the state of your overall health? Or that issues that start in your mouth can eventually affect your whole body?
Similar to other parts of your body, your mouth is literally teeming with bacteria. Most of them are harmless but not all of them. And since your mouth is a pathway to your respiratory and digestive systems, the bad ones can carry disease to those systems.
Normally proper dental care such as regular brushing and flossing combined with your body’s natural defenses can keep these bacteria under control. Without proper oral care, however, bacteria levels can escalate so much that it not only leads to tooth and gum disease but also infections in other parts of the body.
Something important to know at this stage is that some medications, including antihistamines, decongestants, painkillers, antidepressants, and diuretics can reduce saliva flow. And saliva is what washes down any food particles left in your mouth and neutralizes acids. This helps to protect your body against microbes that could cause disease.
Diseases and conditions that might be worsened by poor oral health
Research shows that oral bacteria combined with inflammation caused by periodontitis could actually play a role in numerous diseases. This can in turn increase the severity of oral health problems. Examples include:
Cardiovascular disease. Although scientists do not yet fully understand the connection, some research indicates that clogged arteries, heart disease, and strokes could be linked to the infections and inflammations caused by oral bacteria.
Endocarditis. This refers to when the inner lining of the heart valves or chambers become infected. It typically happens when germs or bacteria from other parts of the body (including the mouth) spread to certain regions of the heart via the bloodstream.
Complications during pregnancy and giving birth. Links have been found between periodontitis, premature birth, and reduced birth weight.
Diabetes. Researchers have found that individuals who suffer from gum disease have a more difficult time controlling their blood sugar levels.
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