Have you ever considered how important your oral hygiene is to the rest of the body? If not, you really should! Why?
Not only is the mouth connected to the rest of your body, but it’s the portal to your body! It’s an orifice that allows substances in and out of your body, which can be a good thing and a bad thing, depending on how well you take care of it.
Learn more about how bad oral hygiene can decline your whole body’s health—and how to avoid it—in this week’s blog post from your dentist in Kent.
Why is oral hygiene important?
If you don’t brush and floss your teeth every day, you could be doing your whole body a great disservice. Brushing alone is great, but not enough. This part of your home hygiene routine is important because it removes a large part of the plaque and bad dental bacteria that lingers around the mouth.
However, flossing is also important as it cleans just about 35% of your tooth’s surface. Plus, it works to keep your gums strong and the gum line clean as well.
What happens when you ignore oral hygiene?
If you avoid these two habits, you could suffer from gum disease—a very common dental problem among American adults. But just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it’s okay! With gum disease, you can experience these uncomfortable symptoms and even develop serious concerns, like heart disease.
- Red, swollen gums
- Sensitivity in the mouth
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Chronic bad breath
- Bleeding gums
- Gum recession
How can gum disease lead to heart disease?
As mentioned above, the mouth is one of the portals to the rest of your body. It matters what goes on inside your mouth—especially when disease sets in!
One of the symptoms of gum disease is inflammation and gum recession. When the gums pull away from the teeth, it leaves holes in your smile. This can allow bad dental bacteria to enter the bloodstream.
Unfortunately, when this happens, these materials can start to plug the arties within your body, leading to developed heart disease and even a heart attack.
Can your dentist help you?
Although prevention is always a cornerstone in dentistry, restoration is also important in the case that your oral health declines. If you start to notice signs of gum disease, it’s important to contact your local family dentist in Kent early on so that you can start periodontal therapy, otherwise known as regular deep cleaning of the gums.
It will help to keep your mouth cleaner, remove infectious materials, and promote healthy gum growth. Overall, it’ll improve your body’s health, too!
About Our Office
Here at Complete Dental Care, we work to keep your teeth and gums in great shape all the time. However, there are many reasons why gum disease can develop—and we’re here to help you recover! Simply call our office the minute you feel your health is declining and we’ll work with you one on one to help set your oral health back on the right track.