Impacts of bad dental health

 

There is no need pointing out how much our teeth are important to us, to both-our physical appearance and our overall health! People like to say that our eyes may be the window to our soul, but dentist often say that our mouth is definitely a window to our body's health. Almost every disease, beside all other symptoms, will also cause some change in our mouth! Sometimes the first sign of a disease shows up in your mouth. That’s why- it is important to point out that our oral health and overall health are more connected than you might realize.

There is no man which didn’t suffer from at least one sleepless night because of a toothache! Biggest problem is that most of the people have some strange fear from dental work of any kind, and that’s why- treatment often comes too late. At the end, only solution, in most cases- is tooth extraction which is additionally associated with even more pain! Good thing is that the times are changing. What are your options when suffering from toothache? Well, there are several options, but only if you contact your dentist as soon as you can! Some of the most common procedures are invasive dental procedure such as a dental filling, root canal, dental bridge, crown, or ultimately, a tooth extraction. Good thing is that today- these treatments and procedures can be very comfortable and teeth extractions are only done when necessary. Beside all this- there are also some cosmetic improvements and dental implants may offer alternatives to traditional treatment!

Halitosis is also known as bad breath! Experts are saying that, in most cases, halitosis originates in the mouth due to open-air interaction with bacteria in the mouth. Only a small percentage of bad breath cases originate in the nose. Therefore, a bad breath could also be a sign of poor oral health! Even some cases of nasal dysfunction can cause extremely bad breath! Also all kinds of sinusitis, post-nasal drip, and allergies may contribute to the bad breath problem!   

Several researches done in the past have proven that loss of teeth and gums that surrounds them can contribute to the increased risk of ischemic stroke. Most people are interested how this could be! Where is that connection between our teeth and our heart! In the beginning, experts couldn’t explain all this, although- it was a fact! But later, Boston University did one big study where the relationship between gum disease and history of stroke was definitely confirmed! How come? Well, this study has confirmed that older people, with a long history of tobacco use, almost toothless, were significantly more likely to have a history of stroke than those with teeth and no appreciable attachment loss. This isn't some small difference of incidence! Experts are saying that the chances of having a stroke is about twice as high in those with complete tooth loss then with those with healthy teeth! However, still the exact connection wasn’t found! Later, one group of experts try to explain the connection saying that every inflammation in mouth- is nothing more than a general inflammation! They have proved that a single periodontal treatment, such as scaling, can lower levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker known to be associated with heart and vascular disease. Therefore- we can say now, for sure, that this chronic inflammation arising from dental disease can cause hardening of the arteries and atherosclerosis- a key risk factor for stroke.

 

We probably all know that our mouth are literally filled with all kinds of different bacteria! This is completely normal because, with good oral care- we easily can keep these bacteria under control. This good oral hygiene we were talking about is usually based on daily brushing and flossing.  Beside this, “artificial” way of handling these bacteria- our saliva is also a key defense against bacteria and viruses. So- in normal situation- we shouldn’t have any problems! However, when we talk about bad dental hygiene- we are talking about the case when these bacteria grow out of control and lead to severe inflammation and gum infections. This could be extremely dangerous because our gum are our first line defense and when bacteria pass this line- the next stop is our bloodstream! We all know what happens then: these bacterial attack all organs, especially heart and joints, but brain, liver and kidneys could also be affected!

 

Experts are saying that our teeth health and, oral health in generally, could be extremely important because there are several diseases which could be linked to it!  We have already tell everything about the connection between bed teeth and cardiovascular disease! When we say- cardiovascular disease- it includes several conditions such as: heart disease, clogged arteries, stroke and bacterial endocarditis. Of course, many things have still remained unclear and that’s why- more studies are needed before the link can be confirmed with certainty.

·         Pregnancy and birth

 Although not too many women know about this-it is a confirmed fact that gum disease could be linked to premature birth. How come? Well, the explanation is simple! Mechanism is almost the same like in previous case! Bacteria simply enter bloodstream via damaged gums and that’s how- they can end up in pregnant woman's placenta or amniotic fluid. This can easily cause premature birth. This is why we don’t even need to tell that, if you are pregnant, it could be vital to maintain excellent oral health.

·         Diabetes

This is one case when disease affects our oral health and our oral health affects the disease! It is proven that Diabetes increases our risk of gum disease, cavities, tooth loss, dry mouth, and a variety of oral infections, while our poor oral health can make our diabetes more difficult to control. That’s why- all people diagnosed with diabetes must keep an extra healthy oral hygiene!

·         HIV/AIDS

HIV is not only for sure connected to oral heath but- even in some cases, one of the first signs of AIDS may appear in patient’s  mouth. The first sign is usually severe gum infection, in most cases we are talking about fungi Candida infection which could be seen as a white layer on tongue and gums!

 

What exactly is an oral hygiene!? Well, it is one simple process of keeping the mouth clean and healthy. It is important to point out that the good oral hygiene is necessary for the prevention of dental caries, periodontal diseases, bad breath and other dental problems.

The three main steps in maintaining good oral hygiene are :

Tooth brushing is probably the most important part of the process! Tooth brushing will remove dental plaque and other debris from teeth. You should brush your teeth in the morning, after every meal during the day and before you go to sleep! Be sure to use a soft bristled brush and also -be sure it is the right size! Keep in mind that, although there is no rules, generally smaller is better than larger. The bristles should be held at a 45 degree angle to the teeth.  If we are talking about the brushing of the front teeth, they should be brushed on the inside surfaces of the upper and lower jaws by tilting the brush vertically. One more thing, it could be extremely important to brush your tongue also! This will definitely help freshen breath.  A good and effective brushing should last at least 3 minutes! Be sure to be gentle because brushing the teeth too vigorously could cause the gums to recede and exposes root surfaces.

Although, as most studies show, most people don’t floss their teeth, flossing is extremely useful because it helps to remove plaque from in between teeth, in areas that toothbrush can’t reach. How to do it? Well, it is simple! You should simply wrap about 18 inches of floss around the middle fingers of your hands. When you do this- thy to hold the floss tightly, although it might be difficult because usually flosses are covered with some greasy substance and that’s why- they easily slip though our fingers! When you do this- try to gently guide the floss between your teeth. You must be careful because you can easily injure your gums!  

Unfortunately, dental work are extremely expensive! Some data show that, for example in Australia, a standard consultation costs around $100 while the bill for more complicated procedures like root canal work can be as high as $500. We don’t even need to mention that, if we include also a specialist treatment – the bill can go thousands of dollars. Good thing is that people who have private health insurance get a partial discount for these costs, but still- it is extremely expensive! Following all the procedures of dental health we’ve already described above- you can avoid all these expenses, avoid all the possible health complications, avoid bed breath and enjoy in perfect smile! It’s definitely worth of trying!