When growing up, were you always reminded of the importance of oral health and made to clean your teeth with proper floss following it? Going to bed without brushing your teeth was seen as a cardinal sin. However, as we grow older, we quickly skip healthy habits. Having a hectic schedule and lousy time management skills can do that to anyone. Most of us are thinking about preventing other serious diseases such as sexually transmitted infections or cancer. But we don’t really bother about what is brewing in our own mouths.

Did you know that the effects of bad oral hygiene can be as harmful as cancer? A large part of the population stops maintaining such a crucial part of their bodies by completely ignoring it and keeping it unhygienic. The simplest way to avoid health complications from poor dental health is by brushing, flossing, and regularly meeting with your dentist. A little attention is required to ensure good oral hygiene that keeps your body protected against vulnerable diseases which can travel through your mouth.

Why is Oral Health crucial?

A healthy mouth makes for easier tasting, chewing, swallowing, and speaking. But if you have an unhealthy mouth, perhaps you are silently developing risks. Dentists will often tell you that the condition of your overall health can also determine the overall condition of your body. Like any other area of your body, your teeth and gums come into constant contact with very stubborn germs because of what you eat and the environment. Most bacteria can be harmless; however, this does not mean you completely ignore your oral hygiene. The mouth is the entry point to your internal body, the respiratory tract to the stomach, which can allow some harmful bacteria to enter.

On a regular day, your body fights the bacteria it comes in contact with. However, if you skip on healthy habits, there will come a time when the same bacteria will start piling up and attack your gums and tooth. Enough build-up will eventually cause gum infections and tooth decay, all severe diseases, requiring a doctor’s intervention with heavy antibiotics.

Antibiotics and too many medications reduce saliva production. If you use decongestants, painkillers, antihistamines, or antidepressants, your mouth can start to feel dry with time. Saliva is essential to wash away food and neutralize acids made by bacteria in the mouth. This means saliva is a significant factor contributing to your oral health.

Research shows that some gums and teeth diseases are linked with significant conditions in the body. Furthermore, diabetes and HIV/AIDS lower the body’s resistance to fight off bacteria in the mouth. Hence, you must always look after your oral hygiene by taking care of it physically.

Common Oral Issues

There are some prevalent issues associated with oral health. They are listed as follows:

Cavities

Cavities are one of the major problems faced by dental patients. Cavities, also known as tooth decay, mean that the teeth are no longer healthy and permanently damaged. Cavities cause broken teeth or holes. This results from bacteria and acids, and food that remain coated on your teeth and form a yellow-like substance called plaque.

Gingivitis

Dental problems can manifest as pain and swelling around the gums. Plaque around your teeth due to poor maintenance of teeth is responsible for this pain and swelling. To avoid this, you will need regular to brush and floss regularly. Gingivitis makes your gums bleed and swell whenever you brush or floss. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms described above, you should seek a medical opinion right away.

Periodontitis

If you ignore gingivitis, this problem will progress to periodontitis. This means the infection you previously had will now escalate and damage your bones as well as your teeth. With this issue, your body will have an inflammatory response. However, with proper oral treatment, you can eliminate much of its risks if you treat periodontitis right away. The best thing to do to avoid this problem is to maintain hygiene.

Cracked Teeth

Due to bad oral health, patients often develop more unhealthy habits such as grinding their teeth. Furthermore, some people eat fruits or drink colas that damage the teeth further, breaking the teeth prematurely and cracking them from the middle. Unfortunately, this kind of oral issue can be very troublesome, causing severe pain.

Sensitive teeth

If you consume hot and cold foods and feel a sharp pain in any of your teeth, that means you have sensitive teeth. Tooth sensitivity is also called dentin hypersensitivity, resulting from any oral treatment like a root canal or filling. However, it can be a symptom of an underlining tooth condition such as the following.

• Receding gums
• Cracked tooth
• Gum disease
• Old fillings or crowns

Link Between Oral Health and General Health

It’s very simple, your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your vital organs. If you do not protect it with good habits, your overall health can deteriorate. Due to poor hygiene, bacteria will likely stay in your mouth and start multiplying. When it finds shelter in your mouth, it will probably find a way into your bloodstream and become blood clumps which can trigger many types of inflammation and diseases. The inflammation can result in swelling of the cells, tissues, and organs, impacting your cardiovascular system. The arteries are likely to shrink and increase the risk of blood clots.

How to take care of your Teeth?

Adopting healthy habits to ensure you live a long and fulfilling life is easier than you think. With all the harrowing issues now appearing before you, let’s look at how it all can be avoided:

• Brush your teeth twice a day. Ideally, it is best if you brush right after consuming any meals.
• Limit any sugar intake and acidic foods. The less sugar and acid you take, the fewer times you will need to rinse your mouth.
• If you are into sports, always wear the appropriate sports gear to protect yourself from tooth injury.
• It would help if you used toothpaste that has fluoride. It will keep your teeth strong and protect teeth from foreign particles.
• Many ask why dentists are essential? If you don’t go for regular check-ups, you might be enabling an infection.

Anderson Lake Dental is a renowned dental clinic offering dental procedures and check-ups. If you suffer from any dental issues mentioned above or feel that you may have started to develop something, don’t wait for them to worsen. Get an appointment right away and have yourself checked on priority.

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