Your oral health does not only affect your gums and teeth, but it also greatly impacts other parts of your body.
Your mouth is a magnet for harmful and harmless bacteria, and the harmful bacteria can only be controlled through good oral health and hygiene. By neglecting your gums and teeth, you won’t only make your gums and teeth suffer, but you’ll also negatively affect your overall health. Here’s how:
Cardiovascular Diseases and Oral Health
Gum inflammation leads to inflammation throughout your body, increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease.
People who have gum diseases like periodontitis are at nearly thrice the risk of a heart attack.
Bacterial gum diseases also lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases, since they increase inflammation in the body.
Diabetes and Oral Health
Gum disease can also cause diabetes, by affecting the blood glucose levels. Periodontal disease causes bacteria in the mouth to produce toxins, which affect the cells’ carbohydrate metabolism. The host cells respond to the bacterial toxins by increasing the body’s insulin resistance, leading to a high blood glucose level.
Joint pain and Teeth Grinding
Frequent teeth grinding, also known as Bruxism, affects the joints of your lower jaw. It aggravates the temporomandibular joints, leading to tightness and pain in the joint area. Continuously grinding your teeth may even cause headache and earache.
In addition to affecting your jaw, Bruxism also increases tooth sensitivity, damages your tooth enamel and causes your teeth to break or chip.
Lungs and Oral Health
Gum diseases make you prone to lung infection. Because of periodontal disease, the bacteria breeding in your mouth can easily be inhaled, increasing the risk of pneumonia.
If you have a pre-existing lung condition like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), then gum diseases can make the problem worse.
Pregnancy and Oral Health
Oral health has a great impact on the health of a pregnant woman and the baby. Progressive gum disease increases the chance of delivering pre-term or giving birth to a low-birth-weight baby.
In addition to this, gum disease during pregnancy increases the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Therefore, it’s crucial to get your oral health checked regularly during pregnancy by a dentist and hygienist.
Having healthy teeth and gums is integral for a well-functioning body.
Get impeccable oral health with some of the best dentists in Woodland Hills, CA. Get in touch with our expert dentists at West Hills Smiles and get your dental treatment started today. Call us at (818) 346-4303 and get same-day appointments.