As you travel your journey in life, one of the things you come to realize is that you have to take care of your health. Good health is the cornerstone to living a beautiful existence and being able to truly enjoy all the wonder and magic in the world. If you are experiencing health challenges, you find that your world begins to shrink and things you once took for granted are no longer possible or are really hard to do.
When we think of health checkups we typically think of doctors and the like. Yet there are important things we need to consider when it comes to our oral health too. Your dentist plays a key role in evaluating our overall oral health, and the services they provide can have far-reaching effects on our health and are designed to prevent disease.
Reducing Your Risk of Heart, Respiratory, and Joint Disease
While we often think of regular dental care as solely affecting our oral health, there’s more of a whole-body connection than that. If you have a bacterial infection in your mouth, it can be very dangerous if it enters your bloodstream. Over time, it can harden in your arteries and cause atherosclerosis which is a form of heart disease.
You could also find that bacteria could move from your mouth to your lungs. Every time you breathe the bacteria can enter your lungs where it might result in infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Similarly, you might develop inflammation in your joints and other body systems as bacteria progress through the body. By keeping a regular schedule of dental visits, you can reduce your chance of bacterial infection and keep on top of your health.
Preventing Cavities and Gum Disease
When you schedule regular checkups and cleanings with your dentist you’ll be able to proactively monitor your dental health. Potential cavities can be caught early and the work you need to be done on your teeth minimized. Your cleanings will help reduce tartar buildup and reduce the possibility that you develop future gum disease.
Gum disease can cause severe problems in your mouth and body. As gums recede and plaque builds up around your teeth, you could find that your teeth become loose and you could wind up losing some or all of them. Treatments that are necessary for advanced gum disease can also be quite invasive and painful.
Replacing Missing Teeth
If you are missing teeth, you may find that you may have to avoid specific foods and chewing and eating can become a problem. You might also feel self-conscious and begin spending less time with your friends. Your teeth will also start to shift which will change the spacing and separation in your mouth. Missing teeth can also cause bone loss. Read more about The Benefits of Sedation Dentistry.
As soon as you lose a tooth, you should go to your dentist and talk to them about crafting a prosthetic that fills the gap where the missing tooth was. This device will keep the integrity of your jawline and tooth structure in place.
Regular dental care can make a big difference in your health and your life. With good oral care, you’ll have fewer cavities, be able to reduce your bacterial risk, prevent chronic gum disease, and respond quickly if you have any missing teeth.
