If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then your mouth is the window to your overall health. Your oral health may only involve your mouth, gums, and teeth. On the other hand, did you know that it can also offer a lot of information about your overall wellbeing and health? Problems in your mouth often affect the rest of your body, making it more important than you realise.
What Linked Between Oral Health And Overall Health
Like other parts of the body, your mouth is teeming with mostly harmless bacteria. On the other hand, your mouth is the entry point to your respiratory and digestive tracts, and some of these seemingly harmless bacteria may cause disease if they migrate to other parts of the body.
Normally, good oral health and a functioning immune system can keep the bacteria under control. However, poor oral hygiene can increase the number of bacteria present, which can cause oral infections, such as gum disease and tooth decay. The increased bacteria and severe infection and inflammation can cause gum disease and play a role in certain diseases.
If you’re taking certain medications, like antihistamines, decongestants, diuretics, and painkillers, it can reduce saliva flow, increasing the bacteria population. Saliva washes away food and neutralizes the acids produced by bacteria in your mouth. This helps in protecting you from microbes that can multiply and result in diseases.
5 Diseases Linked To Poor Oral Health
Diseases linked to poor oral health include:
#1 Respiratory Infections
Inhaling bacteria in your mouth from swollen gums or an infected tooth over a long period can travel through your bloodstream and into the lungs.
Once there, it can cause various respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) .
#2 Heart Disease
Believe it or not, poor oral health can result in a higher risk for heart disease. The bacteria that cause severe gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, can enter your bloodstream. This causes a buildup of plaque in your arteries. The plaque hardens over time, which causes a condition known as atherosclerosis, or the hardening in your arteries, a dangerous form of heart disease.
Atherosclerosis causes heart blockages and blood flow problems, increasing your chances of having a heart attack. In addition, the damaging impact on your blood vessels and arteries can also cause hypertension and result in a stroke. In rarer cases, a severe oral infection can develop a fatal condition known as endocarditis, which infects the lining of your heart.
#3 Diabetes
Children and adults with diabetes are already prone to infection since this condition lowers your immune system's response. As a result, people with diabetes are most likely to get frequent and severe gum diseases.
However, periodontal disease can also make your diabetes more difficult to manage. It can worsen your diabetic symptoms and make your sugar levels go haywire. That’s why if you have diabetes, it's important to take excellent care of your oral health and consult a medical professional for a dental solution and prevent complications from your disease.
#4 Reproductive Issues
Your mouth also plays a role in the health of your reproductive system.
Preliminary results from a study conducted by the University of Western Australia in Perth, show a connection between poor oral health and women's infertility that may be similar to the effects of obesity on fertility. In addition, a woman with poor oral health may take longer to get pregnant compared to those who have good dental health.
It doesn't end with infertility, either. Poor oral health is also believed to cause pregnancy complications. During pregnancy, fluctuating hormones can cause oral infections to occur more frequently.
If an expectant mother doesn't practice good oral hygiene, infections from her mouth can increase the risk of experiencing pregnancy complications. In fact, poor oral health in mothers, including periodontitis and gingivitis, has been shown to trigger premature low-weight infants . Babies born too early or at a low birth weight may experience significant health issues, including heart conditions, lung problems, and learning disorders.
Men may also experience problems in their reproductive system with poor oral health. It is believed that gum disease may increase a man's risk of erectile dysfunction - the inability to maintain or get an erection that's firm enough to have sex. Bacteria from serious infections in your mouth may enter the bloodstream, causing your blood vessels to become inflamed. This may then obstruct blood flow to the genitals, making erections impossible or difficult to achieve.
#5 Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gum infection has also been associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which is the inflammation of joints and causing the destruction of bone, cartilage, and ligaments.
Both periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis share basic characteristics - producing growth factors and cytokines. These chemicals promote the dissolution of your bone and trigger inflammatory mechanisms. The bacteria from your oral infection can aggravate the inflammation throughout your body, increasing the likelihood of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
#6 Preventing Health Problems From Poor Oral Health
The best way to get rid of serious health issues caused by bad oral health mentioned above is to practice good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist .
Here are some general, important tips for keeping good oral health.
- Brush your teeth two to three times a day. Make sure to use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Fluoride may help prevent tooth decay, while a soft brush can reduce too much pressure when brushing, minimizing negative impact on your gums and teeth enamels.
- Floss every day. This helps dislodge the food particles in places your toothbrush can't reach, and prevent plaque build ups in the most hidden places.
- Use mouthwash, not only for a fresher breath, but to also remove extra mouth debris after brushing and flossing.
- Change your toothbrush every three months or if the bristles are worn or splayed, whichever comes first.
- Eat a healthy diet and limit sugary foods.
- Stop smoking. Smoking isn’t just a culprit for teeth discoloration and bad breath, but it also causes the increase of plaque buildup, risk of gum diseases, and the loss of bone in your jaw.
- Schedule regular dental cleaning and checkups. It allows your dentist to catch and fix early signs of oral problems, as well as prevent more severe infections.
- Healthy teeth and mouth mean free of decay, infection, and disease. Taking care of your mouth not only ensures that you never experience the pain that comes with a tooth infection and gum disease, but it also goes a long way toward reducing your risk for the alarming health issues throughout your body.