How Oral Hygiene Affects your Overall Health

What if we tell you that flossing and brushing daily can help you to prevent heart diseases? And what if we tell you that by visiting your dentist twice a year you can take care of your diabetes? Well, it's true. Your dental health is linked to your overall health, and that's why it's so important to take care of it.

Here you have everything you need to know about how your oral hygiene can help your health. We hope that after reading this, you'll never go to bed without brushing again.

The Mouth-Body Connection

Your mouth-body connection is a two-way road. While what happens in your body may affect your dental health, what happens in your mouth affects your entire health. For example, your immune system protects your body from the bacteria. If you have a weak immune system, the bacteria in your mouth can cause gum disease, cavities, tooth loss, etcetera.

You should see your body as a perfectly tuned machine. If one piece stops working, the others will fail. The importance of your dental health relies on the fact that your mouth is the gateway to your body. So if you want to enjoy a great health, start by taking care of your oral hygiene. Here are some diseases that your dental health may influence or be influenced by.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Many studies have proven that periodontal disease is linked to heart problems. The reason is because periodontal disease bacteria can enter to your bloodstream and travel to the arteries in the heart. This may cause cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of heart stroke, and all of it could be prevented just by visiting your dentist. Take care of your heart by taking care of your teeth.

Diabetes

This may be the strongest connection between mouth and body. When you have diabetes you are more susceptible to periodontal disease. Now, when you have periodontal disease, it impairs the body’s ability to use insulin, having as a result diabetes complications. That's why having a good oral hygiene is so important to diabetes patients. So keep your diabetes under control by taking care of your teeth.

Respiratory Diseases

That's right, breathing with tooth plaque may cause that bacteria to find a way to enter into your lungsThis may have consequences as serious as pneumonia or other respiratory diseases. It has a bigger risk for people who suffer immune system problems, or that already have a respiratory disease that can get worse. You can avoid having trouble with your lungs, it's as easy as brushing twice a day, so why wouldn't you?

Alzheimer’s Disease

As bad as it sounds, recent studies have found that people with poor oral hygiene and gum disease could be at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer. The reason is a bacterium called Porphyromonas gingivalis that has been found in the brain of Alzheimer patients. This bacterium is usually associated with gum disease, and can get to the brain by entering into the blood stream via your mouth. Researchers are still looking for more information about it, but if you want that your brain stays healthy, you better prevent.

There's no question about how influential your dental health is for your body. Now that you know this, it's time for you to make the best for your health. Oral hygiene habits could make the difference between being healthy or sick, so don't hesitate and start taking care today. It's not just about good-looking teeth, it's about a long life.

Sani Dental Group invites you to start taking control of your health. We want you to smile and enjoy every day without dealing with any disease. That's why we offer you the best dental treatments at an affordable price. If you want to know more about our services, give us a call and one of our patient coordinators will give you all the information you need. The sooner you start to take care of your teeth, the soonest your health will be recompensed. There's no reason to worry, if you let us be your guide, everything will be fine.

The reason is periodontal disease bacteria can enter your bloodstream and travel to the arteries in the heart