Even small children know that not brushing your teeth leads to cavities and tooth loss, but not many people know that bad dental hygiene can cause serious health issues. So, if you neglect your teeth you can actually risk the health of your heart, lungs, brain and disturb your overall well-being. Here are just some of the ways your teeth can affect your health.
Teeth and diabetes
One of the biggest health hazards of bad teeth hygiene is probably its connection with diabetes. Inflammations that start in the mouth caused by poor oral hygiene seem to affect the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels. Diabetes and periodontitis are connected in two ways and they feed each other. For instance, high blood sugar helps infections grow while infections disturb blood sugar regulation, making this a vicious circle. However, if you manage to get one under control, the other will also be kept at bay.
Teeth and heart
For reason still unknown, gum disease and heart disease often coexist in one body. Statistically, over 90% of people with heart disease also have periodontitis, while only 60% of people with heart disease suffer from this ailment. This may occur because these two diseases have the same triggers like smoking, bad diet and extra weight. Also, some experts think that inflammations in the mouth cause blood vessel inflammation that raises blood pressure and can lead to heart problems.
Teeth and osteoporosis
Both osteoporosis and periodontitis cause bone loss, but the connection between these two health issues is still unknown. There are two main issues: osteoporosis affects bones in arms and legs while periodontitis attacks jawbone; and osteoporosis mainly affects women, while periodontitis attacks mostly men. However, even if we still don’t know the link, it’s a fact that women with osteoporosis more often suffer from gum disease when compared with healthy women.
Teeth and inflammations
Neglected oral hygiene is also linked to the development of inflammations in various parts of the body. For instance, experts discovered the connection between periodontitis and arthritis (or joint inflammation). But, if you eat a balanced diet, take good care of your teeth and regularly book dental appointments, you can help prevent both gum disease and other inflammations.
Teeth and lung health
Gum disease can also affect your respiratory system causing various lung infections, including pneumonia. The connection between the oral hygiene and lungs might not be very obvious, but it actually makes perfect sense. If you constantly breathe in bacteria from your mouth, they will eventually get to your lungs and possibly cause health problems.
Teeth and mental health
Even though bad oral hygiene and crooked teeth don’t directly affect people’s mental health, it can significantly affect one’s confidence and self-image. Dental issues can cause tooth discoloration, tooth loss and bad breath which all lower the quality of life. However, if you improve your oral hygiene your teeth will be healthy and white. You can also check out some new teeth straightening methods like Invisalign. What is Invisalign doing is straightening your teeth in a completely invisible way which makes it a perfect solution for adults and those who don’t want to be stuck with braces.
Teeth and brain
People with gum issues also usually perform worse on certain memory tests than those who have healthy gums. For reasons unknown, they usually have problems with delayed verbal recall subtraction which are the two very important skills we use every day. However, if you use mouthwash, brush regularly and use floss, you can reduce the risk of gum inflammations.
Proper oral hygiene keeps your teeth pearly white and strong, but it also helps protect your whole body from various health issues. So, make sure to brush, floss and use mouthwash daily and have regular dental appointments. This will keep you healthy, beautiful and happy.