Infection, health complications and diseases link to problems inside your mouth
One thing that people often forget is that every part of your body is connected to another part. That means that the health of one area directly affects the health of another. The same is true for the health of your mouth. When you have infections in your teeth and gums, they can quickly spread to other areas of your body, leading to new infections and other health complications.
The gateway to your body
Your mouth is the gateway to your body. Anything that enters your mouth has access to all other areas within you. The food you eat goes into your mouth, passes through your throat, and travels down your esophagus to your stomach and intestines, where it is digested. The bloodstream absorbs the nutrients from this food and distributes them to the organs and tissues that require them.
The same is true for bacteria. Bacteria can build up on your teeth and gums and can lead to infections if not dealt with immediately. When this occurs, the bacteria from your mouth enters your system, travels through your blood, and can lead to a whole host of potentially severe health complications.
Remember: If it’s in your mouth, it can get anywhere inside your body.
Where are the bacteria from?
When you experience an infection, the first thing doctors should consider is where the bacteria are coming from. Too often, physicians prescribe antibiotics to treat infections without digging deeper into finding their root cause. Unless there’s an open wound on your skin, the bacteria has almost certainly entered your system through your body’s front door: your mouth.
Why is a healthy mouth so important?
Researchers have drawn a causal link between oral infections and a whole range of health conditions that affect your entire body. Illnesses such as heart attacks, cardiovascular disease, complications during pregnancy, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, bacterial pneumonia, and rheumatoid arthritis can all stem from poor oral health. When you take care of your teeth and gums, you help prevent serious health complications and not only keep your smile bright but keep your entire body healthy as well.
How can I keep my mouth healthy?
Fortunately, keeping your mouth healthy can be easy! One of the most important things you can do is clean your teeth thoroughly. Most of us don’t spend nearly enough time cleaning our teeth. A few minutes a couple of times a day isn’t sufficient to remove all of the bacteria and plaque that builds up in your mouth. You need to ensure that you spend some quality time flossing between each tooth and cleaning every surface in your mouth. You need to remove every food particle and bit of bacteria to keep your mouth free from dental infections.
You also need to visit your dentist regularly. They can check your oral health and help you devise a dental routine that will prevent periodontal disease and other infections.
When it comes to having a healthy body, you need to start with your mouth. Good oral hygiene can go a long way toward preventing systemic diseases. At the Dental Medical Convergence, our goal is to educate the public and other health care professionals on the importance of oral health and how it can affect every system within the body. When dentists and doctors begin working together, we will be able to proactively prevent diseases and be more efficient at treating a wide variety of different conditions. This will not only improve our health but the health of the entire world. To support the Dental Medical Convergence, contact us today.