Good oral health is not just about having a pretty smile. Most people understand they should take care of their teeth so they don’t become chipped or decayed which would look terrible. However, there is a more important reason to make sure your teeth are in good health.
Oral health is totally linked to your overall health. In other words, if you have bad teeth, you are increasing the odds of having other health problems down the line. It may seem like a stretch of the imagination, but when your teeth are in bad shape, you can end up with a myriad of illnesses. These illnesses could really impact your quality of life and possibly worse. In this article, I will go over several of the things to keep in mind about your dental health so you can avoid other health problems later on.
Cardiovascular disease
Our gums have a lot of small capillary veins very close to the surface. This is why taking oral medication under the tongue is so effective. The medication gets absorbed quickly into the blood which acts as a sort of high speed delivery system. This is great when you need quick relief from pain or other things, but bad news if you have a tooth infection. This infected tooth is full of bacteria which is easily brought into your circulatory system and can grow to be a major problem.
A blood infection can be very serious and cause heart problems. Over time, this bacteria can cause plaque to build up on the arteries which increases the chance of heart attack or stroke. If you have been putting off getting that toothache checked out, this is the time to make an appointment with smilovitsdds.com or whoever else is your local dentist. You shouldn’t wait until the problem gets worse.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a growing concern all across the Western world. From a poor diet to a sedentary lifestyle, the number of people with diabetes is growing. We aren’t doing ourselves any favors by adding to the problem due to poor dental health.
Gum disease is easy to get when we aren’t taking good care of your teeth. And this leads to higher than normal sugar levels in the blood. Not only that, but infections are far more serious for people with diabetes than people without. It is very hard for the body to ward off infections.
Pregnancy complications
Pregnancy can make it very difficult to take care of your teeth even when you do everything right. The changes in the body can take away a lot of the minerals and nutrients that your teeth need to stay healthy. As a result many pregnant women lose teeth. Gingivitis has been shown to be a cause of premature birth so the issue isn’t just a less than perfect smile. It can have serious side effects. Even low birth weight can sometimes be attributed to gum disease or tooth infections.
