While people are getting a lot more serious about their health and wellbeing, there is still one area that they are falling behind in: dental care. This is largely to do with the fact that many individuals don’t appreciate the importance of proper oral hygiene. They imagine that it is only useful for their teeth, but this isn’t the case at all! Here are all the reasons that you should be taking better care of your oral health:
Bacteria in the Mouth Can Increase Risk of Heart Disease
On the surface, your teeth and heart may not appear to have any link at all, but they do. Now, bacteria in your mouth may seem relatively harmless, but it has the potential to travel through your bloodstream and to the rest of your body.
This is a particularly troubling issue for your cardiovascular system. Once in your bloodstream, these bacteria can act like plaque. Thus, if it is allowed to build up, it can cause a block in the supply of blood to and from the heart. This can result in a number of heart conditions including, but not limited to heart attacks.
Fortunately for you, you can mitigate this risk and others with regular visits to the Vaughan Smile Centre or others near you. This is because dentists can help to get plaque under control, reducing the risk of bacteria traveling to other areas of your body.
Gum Disease May Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease
It isn’t just your heart that bacteria in your mouth can affect – you should worry about your brain as well. When the bacteria travels to your brain, it can kill the cells there. In time, this can lead to or worsen the systems of dementia and other memory-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Health experts have discovered that people with gum disease and other serious oral health issues have a higher risk of developing these conditions. Now, these symptoms can take years to manifest but by taking care of your teeth and gums, you can prevent this from happening to you.
There is a Link Between Oral Health and Diabetes
The bacteria in your mouth that is responsible for gingivitis and gum disease can also result in inflammation. Although this inflammation may be in your mouth, it can impact your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. To make matters worse, gum disease can also mess with how your body utilizes insulin, making it even more difficult to get diabetes under control.
Build Up of Oral Bacteria Can Cause Respiratory Diseases
Your lungs aren’t safe from the bacteria in your teeth. As you are well aware, you don’t just breathe through your nose, you also breathe through your mouth. In doing so, the bacteria in your mouth can get drawn through your nose and into your respiratory system. This can cause pneumonia and a variety of other lung diseases.
Needless to say, it is incredibly important to stay on top of your oral health. Thus, it is time to start adopting better dental practices and to start visiting your dentist more often!
