Often, people tend to see oral health as something entirely separate from other aspects of their physical health. When people give advice about keeping healthy, they’ll tell you to exercise and eat right, not brush your teeth and floss. But the things that happen in our mouths are much more connected with our bodies than people realize. Problems in the mouth can easily spread to our bodies and vice versa.
It makes sense when you think about it. Our mouths are exposed to the outside world, yet they are also linked directly to our digestive and respiratory systems. These, in turn, allow things to pass into our bloodstream. You can see how it is important for our mouths to keep bad things out. This article will explore in more detail the ways that our mouths protect and benefit our general health.
But first, we should recognize that our mouths can only protect our bodies from bad germs and bacteria outside if they are not fighting problems inside. That is why good oral care is essential; it’s not only about having a nice smile. Here’s a refresher on the things you can do to maintain good oral health.
How Can I Keep My Teeth and Gums Healthy?
The basics when it comes to oral care have remained the same for decades. Use a soft-bristled brush to clean your teeth with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes, twice per day, and floss them at least once.
As further indication of how our oral health is linked to our general health, both our mouths and bodies are harmed by the same sorts of things, namely sugary foods, tobacco, and deficient nutrition. Avoid these as much as possible.
Finally, see your dentist at least twice per year for a checkup and cleaning. This allows them to diagnose and treat any issues quickly or suggest adjustments to your oral care routine to prevent likely issues.
The Health Benefits of Dental Care
There’s not much excuse for skipping those dental appointments. After all, locating a dentist near you today is as simple as asking Siri or Alexa to “recommend a dental clinic near Circular Quay.” Once you’re in the habit of seeing your dentist at least twice a year, these are some of the overall health benefits you can expect.
Maintain a Healthier Heart
Although more research is required before we fully understand the mechanics of this, a number of recent studies have suggested that there is a link between gum disease and poor heart health. It is thought that inflammation in the gums or mouth cause, or occur alongside, inflammation in other parts of the body, such as the heart.
Better Respiratory Health
As mentioned earlier, the germs in our mouths help protect our respiratory systems from external threats. One of these threats is dangerous bacteria being inhaled, which is a potential cause of pneumonia and other respiratory infections.
One of the risks of overlooking your oral health is that the good bacteria in your mouth will be too weak or preoccupied to neutralize threats like this before they enter your body.
Improved Digestion
In order to properly break down our food for digestion, we need to chew it. And for that, we obviously need our teeth. Not being able to chew properly may cause us to miss out on valuable nutrients because our food is not sufficiently broken down before it reaches our digestive tract, which could also lead to other digestive issues.
Conclusion
Keeping on top of our oral health helps give us more than a sparkling smile and fresh breath, and it may be as important to our overall health as exercise, diet, and sleep. Good oral hygiene can improve our quality of life and help prevent some serious health conditions, so make sure you spend some time on it each day.