The Connection between Oral and Overall Health

You may find it interesting that there is a deeper connection between oral and overall health. Good and bad oral health can affect overall health in the same way and vice versa. It means that you need to learn about this connection if you want to better protect your oral and overall health.

So, what’s the connection?

The human mouth is normally filled with bacteria. Most of those bacteria are harmless. Moreover, the bacterial balance remains in good shape when you take good care of your oral health and hygiene. Nevertheless, you can end up having a lot of oral and dental health problems when you do not take good care of your oral and dental health. The infections like cavities and gum disease can occur as a consequence.

If you are on medications, you need to know that certain medicines (such as painkillers, antihistamines, decongestants, diuretics and antidepressants) can cause reduction in the production of saliva. It would be worth mentioning here that saliva is quite important for proper washing away of harmful bacteria and to keep the teeth mineralized.

There are certain health conditions which are likely to occur if you do not take good care of your oral and dental health. In this scenario, the severe form of gum disease can be the major culprit as it lets the infection to gain access to the vessels which are connected to the cardiovascular system. In addition, certain health conditions such as HIV/AIDS and diabetes can hamper body’s immune system, leading to the body’s inability to fight off infections. In this scenario, the likelihood of gum disease and cavities is multifold.

Conditions that are linked to oral health

Bad oral health can result in some overall health complications. Some of those complications are worth mentioning here.

• Endocarditis is a condition which involves infection to the inner lining of your heart. The probable reason for this infection in the attack of bacteria which travel from the other body parts through veins and vessels. Since there are veins in the gums that are connected directly to the vessels which are connected to the heart, severe infection in the gums can lead to Endocarditis.
• According to some studies, clogged arteries, stroke and heart disease are linked to the inflammation of gums.
• Premature birth and other complications during pregnancy may occur as a result of periodontitis.

There are certain health conditions which can affect your oral health. Those health conditions are as under.

• Diabetes can result in overall weakness of immune system. Hence, your gums may not be able to fight infections if you are diabetic. Increased blood sugar levels can cause infectious bacteria to gain control of your mouth.
• There are certain oral health problems that can occur if you have HIV/AIDS.
• If you are suffering from osteoporosis, you may also suffer from jawbone loss. It is typically due to the drugs that are taken to treat osteoporosis.

Protecting your oral health

The conclusion here is that you need to take care of your oral health if you want to maintain your overall health. Furthermore, there are certain health conditions which can be diagnosed with the help of an analysis of your oral cavity. Therefore, it gets more important to visit your dentist biannually because this visit can help you know about your overall health too.

In addition, you will need to make sure that you are taking good care of your oral hygiene not just because you need to maintain your smile and biting force but also due to the fact that not taking care of oral health can lead to serious kinds of other health conditions which can be life-threatening.