Dental Hygiene Starts with Your Whole Body

Posted on 04/14/2022 by Timothy McDermott

Dental Hygiene Starts with Your Whole Body

You hear it all the time, “brush and floss twice a day!” or “get dental cleanings twice a year!” That’s because maintaining good dental hygiene is incredibly important for your health. It prevents diseases and infections which can lead to serious illnesses or even death. But what if we told you that dental hygiene doesn’t just prevent gum diseases and cavities. In fact, what if we told you some factors in which dental hygiene doesn’t have anything to do with your mouth?

 

Your Lungs

Your lungs are a warm, moist environment, which is just perfect for bacteria looking to mutate and grow. This can happen when you have a gum disease, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, and there is an overabundance of bacteria inside your mouth. If you inhale the bacteria from your gum disease, it can travel into your lungs. This can lead to serious lung diseases such as pneumonia, COPD, or asthma. Dental hygiene helps protect the effects of lung issues.

Your Mental Health

Your mental health can affect your oral health. In fact, if you have oral health issues such as tooth loss, infections, gum diseases, damaged teeth, or jaw pain can easily affect your smile. This can damage confidence, social life, and your mental health. As a result, you are faced at a high risk of being faced with depression. In addition, this can also lead you to make decisions such as smoking, taking drugs, or drinking alcohol which can lead to even poorer dental hygiene. 

Your Nutrition

Healthy eating is essential for oral health! Nutrition has a direct impact on your teeth and gums. In fact, poor nutrition may lead to tooth decay, cavities, and other gum diseases, all of which can heavily impact your ability to chew food. Chewing food can help break it down which allows your body to easily absorb the nutrients. Without proper nutrients, your teeth and gums become more susceptible to decay and gum disease and it may be more difficult for tissues in your mouth to resist infection. As a result, this can lead to oral diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and low-weight. In short, your teeth are the first step in digestion.

Your Pregnancy

Dental hygiene is especially important for pregnant women. Common hormonal changes women go through during pregnancy can increase the risk of developing gum disease. Pregnant women who have gum disease can experience premature delivery, low birth weight baby, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy granuloma, and pregnancy tumors. Maintaining good oral hygiene during pregnancy will help to not only protect the health of the mother but the health of the unborn baby as well.

Altogether, maintaining good dental hygiene involves the whole body. More importantly, oral hygiene starts at home. That’s why you hear, “brush and floss twice a day!” or “get dental cleanings twice a year!” all the time. It’s because maintaining good dental hygiene is incredibly essential for your health. If you have any questions or concerns about your dental hygiene, call us today at (321) 452-3388.