Your smile is one of the most vital assets that you have and your oral health is much more than just your teeth, tongues and gums. The mouth happens to be the entryway to millions of germs in the body and thus, poor oral health can have a negative implication on the entire body. The bleeding gums, aching teeth and the stinking breath are all the indicators of poor oral health.
The existing bacteria in the mouth can easily get into the bloodstream and give rise to inflammation and infection wherever they pass into. It is essential to take care of your oral health and see the dentist on a regular basis so that you can avoid unnecessary oral health complication and do not have to go for an untimely tooth implant. Not only that, your oral health can also have some implications that can affect your overall health in worse ways.
Here are some consequences of poor oral health. Just spare a few minutes to read this so that you can know how important oral health is and why we should take more care of our mouth.
- Oral Issues – This goes without saying that not maintaining your oral health properly can give rise to a plethora of problems in the mouth. The build-up of plaque and tooth problems can just be the beginning for the people who do not practise good oral hygiene. Additionally, you can experience gingivitis, mouth sores, and halitosis. If you don’t take care of your gums and teeth, then periodontal disease also holds a potential risk to be triggered any day.
- Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke – As said earlier, the bacteria from the inflammation of the periodontal disease and gums can enter the bloodstream and travel to the arteries and harden them causing atherosclerosis. This gives rise to the plaque being created on the inner heart walls as a result of which they thicken. This may block or decrease the flow of blood to the body. This enhances the risk of heart attack or stroke. Endocarditis can also occur because of this which is a condition that infects and inflames the inner lining of the heart.
- Dementia – The brain can get affected by poor oral hygiene. The gums, when inflamed by infection, can release substances that will kill the cells of the brain and lead to loss of memory. Thus, dementia and eventually Alzheimer’s Disease can result from the gingivitis when the bacteria in the mouth enter the bloodstream or spread to the nerve channels.
- Respiratory Infection – It has been revealed through various researches and studies that the gum disease can infect your lungs and can cause pneumonia. Though the connection may seem dicey at first but think of breathing in the bacteria from the infected teeth and gums over a prolonged period.
- Diabetes – Periodontal disease makes it more difficult to control diabetes and diabetics are proved to be more susceptible to periodontal or gum disease. Thus, these two conditions are interlinked with each other. The symptoms can worsen further, in this case, as the blood sugar levels go haywire because of the periodontal disease. To prevent complications with their ailment, diabetics should work harder to take better care of their oral health. As gum disease usually leads to higher levels of blood sugar level, a person who does not take care of oral health is at an enhanced risk of developing diabetes.
- Risk of Cancer – Patients with periodontal disease have a greater chance of developing cancer. Research has brought this to light that men suffering from the periodontal disease have 50 per cent more risk of being diagnosed with kidney or pancreas cancer. They also have more than 25 per cent more chances of being diagnosed with blood cancer.
Apart from the above pregnancy complication, erectile dysfunction and infertility problems can also arise from periodontal disease. That is why it is important to take care of your oral health and see the dentist regularly so that any ailment lurking in your mouth can be detected and you can go for immediate treatments like gum disease or tooth decay treatment so that you can avoid further complications.
Author Bio: Shashi Das, is a professional Digital Marketer and Health Blogger since many years and now he pens down his extensive knowledge that he gathered working as a dental professional to help and guide people who want to know more about their oral health.
By Dt. Sarika Apre Nair
