Why Oral Health Matters: Understanding Its Impact on General Health

Dental health entails more than just having nice teeth or cavity-free teeth. In fact, it plays a significant role in our overall health. There may be no aspect of our health that is not intimately entwined with our teeth and gum health. Unfortunately, many individuals still fail to understand this correlation and hence fail to visit a dentist in Houston. In this article, we will discuss the relationship between oral and overall health. Let us understand this connection properly to better health and stay fit!

What are the Basics of Oral Health?

Good oral health mainly indicates having clean teeth and healthy gums. It also means no dental diseases. You must brush and floss your teeth regularly. Apart from this, take time every month to go to the dentist and get your teeth checked. This will help you to prevent any serious conditions from growing and detect them in the early stages.

What impact does oral health have on your overall health?

Heart Health

Do you know that your mouth can influence or even affect the health of your heart? Oral diseases may sometimes lead to heart diseases. Some bacteria can spread from the mouth and into the bloodstream. This can lead to inflammation of the heart muscles. It can sometimes be extremely serious, and recovering from these heart diseases can take a lot of effort and work. According to scientific studies, this inflammation can even lead to serious blockage of the arteries and issues related to the heart. This risk can be lowered by attending routine dental visits. You can simply minimize the risk of heart disease with a clean mouth and gums. So, take serious care of your oral health to boost your overall health conditions.

Diabetes

There is a strong link between oral health and diabetes. Periodontal disease impairs blood sugar regulation problems. High blood sugar affects the gums since the arteries that supply blood are narrowed. Studies confirm that this leads to a vicious cycle that is unhealthy for any of the parties involved. Caring for the teeth and gums will assist in maintaining diabetes more effectively. Disease control also requires that diabetic individuals maintain proper oral hygiene. It can prevent serious diseases.

Respiratory Problems

It has also been discovered that the condition of your mouth could harm your lungs. Bacteria present in the mouth can enter directly inside the lungs, leading to ailments such as pneumonia. Breathing in bacteria that originate from infected teeth and gums is a very risky affair. Yearly dental check-ups, in fact, assist in keeping your lungs healthy. This is particularly relevant to the elderly, as it could hinder one’s ability to move around without assistance.

Pregnancy and Oral Health

Pregnant women should focus a lot more on oral health. They should invest their time and efforts to improve the overall dental conditions. Inadequate oral hygiene can cause preterm birth. It can also result in low birth weight. So, it’s very important to ensure that the teeth remain completely clean and there is no infection in the gums and mouth. During your pregnancy, go for dental visits as well. It would help if you properly brush your teeth. This will indirectly help you to conceive a healthy baby.

Mental Health

Oral health is directly related to one’s psychological state as well. Poor dental health can result in social embarrassment, and people may feel they cannot get close to their peers. It also leads to anxiety and depression. Poor dental health may cause one to withdraw socially.

Conclusion

So, through this article, you have understood how important oral health is. From now on, you should dedicate some time daily to your dental conditions. Healthy practices will help you maintain improved dental health.