How Dental Hygiene Affects Your Health By Dr. Natalie Ann Amann At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Your body is like a machine, while it consists of different parts, they all must work properly for the machine to work properly as a whole. So, dental hygiene, and thus dental health, are important to the overall health of your body. This may seem somewhat obvious, but many people fail to make the connection between the health of their teeth, and the health of the rest of their body, so let’s take a closer look at how dental hygiene affects your health.

The mouth has tons of bacteria growing and living in it. These bacteria, when not properly controlled cause tooth decay, which leads to more serious problems like gum disease, which then lead to even more serious problems like heart disease. It is a chain of events, and not directly connected, but there is a connection, and it is important to understand how keeping your mouth free from harmful bacteria can also reduce your chances of heart disease.

When bacteria in the mouth are not kept under control by daily hygiene practices, plaque, or bacteria, build up in the mouth. This plaque leads to gum disease, cavities, root decay and the like. This eventually leads to tooth loss, jaw bone loss, etc. As these diseases take over the mouth, they find their way into the blood stream. The heart and your blood are very closely related. So, as you can see, not brushing twice daily, and not flossing daily, as well as other important aspects of dental hygiene may lead to more serious problems.

Studies have been conducted for years about this very issue, and researchers have begun to connect all sorts of serious health problem with poor dental health. They have found that infections in the mouth enter the blood stream and can start to attack the arteries and the heart itself. This is not just talk, studies have shown people with poor oral health have a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes, and hosts of other health problems.

Studies have also shown, and researchers have found poor dental health in a pregnant mother can lead to premature birth of a baby. It is very important for women in childbearing years to be vigilant about keeping good oral health. Premature births are related to gum disease, and this, is too bad, as gum disease is easily avoided through proper dental hygiene. How does gum disease lead to premature birth? Well, the infection and bacteria caused by gum disease can end up affecting the development of an unborn child. So, while there are some dental procedures that can not be performed while a woman is pregnant, regular cleanings, and brushing and flossing your teeth are not one of them. Also, if you can help it, make sure your teeth are in good condition BEFORE you get pregnant.

Obviously the above two examples are a bit extreme, but that does not mean that dental hygiene can’t affect more of your everyday health. Tooth decay and gum irritation can be very painful and difficult to deal with, and can cause a lot of stress that do things like elevate blood pressure, and weaken immune systems.

So, what can you do to live healthier? Maintain better dental hygiene and oral health. This includes eating healthier, limiting sugared foods, getting enough calcium and other nutrients. It also means getting regular checkups, brushing twice daily for a minimum of 2 minutes, and while practicing proper brushing technique. It also means flossing daily, not the day before and day of a dentist office visit. If you maintain good dental hygiene, you will be healthier, and have a better smile.

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