Why is Oral Hygiene important | Gnathos Dental
The face is the index of the heart. Similarly, your oral health is the index of your overall health say, experts.
In other words, oral health is a door that leads to good health. Do you know people who often suffer from oral health issues also have other health problems? Many people are not aware of the importance of oral health; they don’t even realize that their oral health ensures overall health. Let us try to understand how your oral health – your mouth, teeth, and gums’ health can affect your general health and wellbeing.
Why do you get dental problems?
Your body’s immunity or defense system protects you against disease-causing microbes – mostly bacteria that cause dental decay and gum infections. If you pay attention to good oral hygiene practices – such as regular brushing and flossing, you can keep a check on bacterial growth. If you do not pay attention to proper oral hygiene, then bacteria flourish and increase in numbers leading to oral, gums, and dental infections. They eventually cause gum disease, tooth decay, and periodontitis – a severe form of inflammatory gum disease.
Do medications affect your oral health?
There are certain medicines such as painkillers, antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, and diuretics that decrease the flow of saliva. When this happens, the protection offered by saliva is lost. One of the prominent roles of saliva is to wash away food particles and also to neutralize the acid produced by the bacteria in the mouth. In other words, saliva helps protect you against disease-causing bacteria – which are capable of multiplying and causing gum diseases.
What is the link between oral health and other conditions – heart disease?
Why is oral hygiene important: Bad oral health and hygiene may lead to not only serious oral health issues but also contribute to various health issues, such as
Pneumonia: Bacteria that cause dental diseases and gum infections can sometimes enter the lungs and cause pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
Endocarditis: This is the condition in which the inner lining of the valves or the chambers of the heart (endocardium) are infected. It occurs when bacteria that cause gum disease enter the bloodstream and reach the heart and cause infection of the inner lining of the heart (Endocardium).
Heart Disease (cardiovascular disease): According to a few research studies there is a link between dental disease, heart disease, blocked arteries, and brain stroke. Bacteria that cause serious oral infections and inflammation of the gums are linked to the formation of plague in the arteries and heart disease.
Periodontitis has been linked to Pregnancy-related complications such as low birth weight, premature birth, and other birth complications.
Bottom Line
Why is oral hygiene important: Your oral health gives clues about your overall health. If you have any oral or dental health issues, then they can affect the other organs of the body. Therefore, you must learn more about the links between your oral health and general health to protect yourself from the potential dangers of not maintaining good oral hygiene. Pathogenic oral bacteria that cause periodontitis (a severe form of gum disease) may play a significant role in the development of some diseases – especially heart diseases. In addition, certain autoimmune disorders, immunodeficiency diseases (AIDS), and diabetes can lower the body’s resistance to infections.