Those living in Valparaiso seeking family dentistry advice
for enjoying healthy teeth, gums and an overall healthy body, must know the
connection between oral health and physical health.
Your mouth is
the gateway to your body. The bacteria that grow inside your mouth cause gums
to become inflamed. It also causes the bone structure that holds the teeth in
place to become weak. This infection or inflammation gives rises to serious gum
disease known as periodontitis. Periodontitis or inflammation of the gums
causes many other health problems, such as
Diabetes- People who have
diabetes, usually lack an adequate amount of insulin in their body, the hormone
that converts sugar into energy. Periodontitis affects the body’s natural
ability to control blood sugar, thereby worsening the situation for people who
already have diabetes. This is not all. High blood sugar further allows
infections to grow which increases oral health risk of diabetic people.
Heart disease- Studies
reveal that there is a connection between heart disease and gum disease. Both
the conditions have many common risk factors, such as smoking, excess weight,
unhealthy diet. Some dentists and medical health professionals believe that gum
disease increases a person’s risk of heart disease. This is due to the fact
that inflammation in the mouth results in inflammation of the blood vessels.
Inflamed blood vessels do not allow adequate amount of blood to flow through
them, and result in increased blood pressure. Further, there is an increased
risk that fatty plaque will break the walls of the blood vessels and would travel
to the heart, resulting in stroke or heart attack.
Osteoporosis- Valparaiso Family Dentistry advice for
maintaining good oral health and a healthy body; do remember that poor
oral health can increase your chances of osteoporosis. Gum disease affects the
jaw bone. There is a significant bone loss in the mouth. Inflammation caused by
gum disease results in weakening of the bones in other parts of the body.
Osteoporosis results due to loss of bone density. Researches reveal that most
women who have osteoporosis have gum disease too.
Pregnancy- A recent study
has discovered that inflammation and infections in the mouth interfere with the
normal growth and development of the fetus. Women who suffer from gum disease
often give birth to pre-mature babies or under-weight babies. If you are
pregnant or you are planning to conceive, you must visit your dentist in Aurora to get a complete
oral exam.
Some other
health problems that are linked to poor oral health are obesity, lung
infections, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and
rheumatoid arthritis.
To reduce your
risk of above health problems, take good care of your teeth and gums. Ask your dentist in Aurora about how you can enjoy good oral
health so as to improve your overall physical health.