Proper oral hygiene is important not only in order to have a healthy mouth, teeth, and gums but also for other reasons. It also plays a significant role in your general health. Neglecting the health of your mouth can cause a number of related health issues that affect other areas of the body and you might not expect it. Following are the important points that show this important link as follows.
1. Respiratory Issues
Failure to provide teeth cleaning leads to an accumulation of germs, which can escalate breathing complications. Gum disease bacteria can be breathed into the lungs and cause infections such as pneumonia or worsen conditions like COPD. This risk is more dangerous, especially for those patients with previous respiratory complications, since they are more prone to severe effects. Furthermore, lack of proper dental hygiene practices is associated with inflammation in the respiratory tract, which causes compromised lung functionality and respiratory wellness. Brushing your teeth, flossing, and going to the dentist also reduce dangerous bacterial count in the mouth, which helps stop viruses and pathogens from spreading and affecting the respiratory system. Therefore, ensuring that you address oral health concerns before they become acute not only prevents severe respiratory ailments but also improves your general health status.
2. Effects on Pregnancy
Special attention should be given to the question of the oral health of pregnant women because hormonal changes during pregnancy lead to the development of diseases of the gums and teeth. Hormonal changes also inhibit increasing the sensitivity of the gums, thus causing swelling, bleeding, and even developing gingivitis. It has also been established that failure to take proper care of the teeth and gums may have adverse repercussions, such as early labor and low birth weight of the baby. This link confirms that pregnant women need to ensure that they practice proper oral hygiene to avoid related complications. Along with other hygienic practices, the regular use of the floss in this manner will result in a healthier pregnancy for the potential mother as well as her baby and decrease the likelihood of a problem occurring.
3. Cognitive Health
New information points to the fact that oral disorders are associated with cognitive impairment, for example, Alzheimer’s disease. Gum diseases can cause inflammation that, in the long run, may cause cognitive issues, to happen. Gum infections can spread bacteria into the bloodstream, and this is likely to have an impact on the brain. Although this link is not well researched yet, proper dental care is increasingly being seen as important to overall physical health, though it may have consequences for lifelong cognitive impairment. Brushing and dental check-ups with a dentist are necessary to create barriers that would prevent the decay of teeth as well as the deterioration of the brain, which says a lot about separate dental care, which should complement the general health of the brain.
4. Digestive System
Actually, digestive health starts as early as even in the mouth. Bad oral hygiene practices can obstruct the ability to chew food well, and this results in large food bits passing to the digestive tract and may bring about problems such as indigestion. Also, the bacteria in your mouth can spread and affect your digestive system, causing infections or inflammation of the intestinal lining. Proper oral hygiene contributes to digestion and averts gastrointestinal complications; hence, we need to take care of our teeth. Frequent tooth brushing, proper flossing, and dental visits play significant roles in maintaining a healthier mouth in relation to digestion. In caring for your teeth, you are helping the stomach and the rest of the body be healthy as well.
5. Bone Health
If oral hygiene is not upheld, then there are grave consequences for the state of the bones, particularly those in the jaw. Alas, untreated periodontal disease results in the breakdown of the jawbone, which is reduced to a network of fibers and can no longer support the teeth as it used to. This disease is known as periodontitis, and it affects the jawbone, resulting in the weakening of the bone, thus making dental hygiene practices very important. Dental cleanings done professionally, along with fine brushing and flossing, would be necessary for skipping the advancement of gum diseases and maintaining the sound health of teeth and supporting bone structures. Taking care of teeth is of great importance in preventing the loss of teeth and also the bones so as to promote good health in the future.
Conclusion
Everyone should agree with the statement that teeth health relates to health in general. Gum diseases also cover difficulties in teeth; their care has a relation with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and gestational outcomes, among many others. As much as it is good for your general health to maintain a clean and healthy set of teeth, oral care has several advantages.
