ORAL HEALTH’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO OVERALL HEALTH

You may have heard the old adage ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth.’ But why not? Don’t you want to make sure that your gift is in good health? Good oral health can help keep your body healthy in more ways than you probably know, and that’s what we’re aiming to help you with this week. Understanding how your mouth’s health can aid in fighting disease can help you keep yourself healthy and maintain a strong well being.

ORAL HEALTH: AN OVERVIEW

Your mouth is a gateway, if you will, to the rest of your body. It is teaming with millions of bacteria, which, in small numbers, are harmless. But poor hygiene and lack of brushing and flossing can make these bacteria go outside their natural numbers and flourish in the mouth. Infecting the tissue of the gums, these bacteria can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and even cause teeth to fall out. Certain medications can also cause problems by lowering saliva production. Saliva helps wash away excess bacteria and food particles from your mouth. But when saliva production is lowered, these bacteria are allowed to flourish in the mouth.

DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH ORAL HEALTH

When speaking about oral disease, the main disease in question is periodontitis. This is a disease that affects the gums and causes them to become inflamed. As inflammation occurs, chemicals are released into the gums, causing the tissue and bone to deteriorate. This is a big enough problem for the mouth. It can cause tooth loss and severe pain, but it can also create complications in the rest of the body. The bacteria that cause the initial inflammation, as well as the chemicals released by inflammation, can make their way into the bloodstream and cause severe problems for your body as a whole. The bacteria from your mouth, after entering your blood stream, can attach themselves to damaged tissue in your heart, causing endocarditis. Cardiovascular disease has also been linked to oral health. Inflammations and infections caused by oral disease can lead to stroke, heart disease, and clogged arteries. This may seem like a serious issue, but when looking at them from the perspective of the mouth, they can all be easily kept at bay.

PRACTICING GOOD ORAL HEALTH

As if you don’t hear it enough at the dentist, you should always be brushing your teeth. That doesn’t mean all day every day, but you should be brushing for two minutes at a time, twice a day. Flossing is also important, as it helps get into the areas that your toothbrush just can’t reach. And, not to mention, you’ll have minty fresh breath all day long, so you might make a few new friends.

Although we may not specialize in dental hygiene, we here at Pierre Physician Group know the importance of having a healthy body, and that includes the mouth. We care about our patients and want them to maintain a healthy lifestyle, because forgetting about one area of health can lead to problems with another. That’s why overall health and preventive care are our specialty. We want to catch conditions before they become a problem and make sure that everyone that comes into our office leads as healthy a life as they can. Click the button below to make an appointment with us, and we’ll make sure that we get you on the right track for a healthy lifestyle.

Sources:
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/SurgeonGeneral/sgr/part3.htm
http://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/101.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/oral-health-the-mouth-body-connection?page=2
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20047475?pg=2