You probably know that poor oral health can negatively affect your smile. However, did you know that an unhealthy mouth can have negative consequences on your overall health? While a dental cavity doesn’t impact your digestive system, serious periodontal disease can affect your health beyond your mouth.
Your oral health serves as the window to your other body parts. It can indicate that something wrong is happening in other systems in your body. For instance, bleeding gums can be a symptom of a blood disorder. Mouth lesions can be a sign of an HIV infection. Meanwhile, if you do not maintain proper oral health, you can have overall health complications. Some mouth bacteria can cause different diseases when not addressed. Once these bacteria enter your bloodstream, serious medical conditions can occur. Such entry takes place if you have serious cavities. To avoid these complications, it’s important to schedule regular visits to a family and cosmetic dentist. This type of dentist can help you maintain a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile. The following are common overall health issues associated with oral health:
Cardiovascular Disease
This condition can occur due to poor oral health. Bacteria that cause gum disease can enter your bloodstream and block blood-carrying arteries from supplying blood to your heart. When the plaque hardens into the arteries, you can suffer from atherosclerosis, which is a life-threatening condition.
Diabetes
Managing diabetes can become harder if you have gum disease. Periodontal disease can make the glucose in your blood hard to stabilize. If you are diabetic, you must take care of your oral health. Also, because periodontal disease makes it hard to keep your blood sugar level at bay, a person who has gum disease has an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Respiratory Infections
Your mouth can have bacteria that can cause your gums to swell. When these bacteria get into your lungs through your bloodstream, they can cause different respiratory diseases like bronchitis and pneumonia.
Kidney Disease
According to studies, kidney disease is associated with gum disease. Kidney disease can affect your bones, blood pressure, and heart. Thus, you must maintain good oral health to avoid these complications.
Health experts think that oral health must be considered a vital part of people’s general health and well-being. This makes it important to prevent the development of oral disease by taking proactive steps. These include sticking to an oral hygiene routine and staying on top of bi-annual dental checkups and cleanings. Also, it’s imperative to get treatment for infections like gingivitis as early as possible to avoid complications.
