The other day I bumped into an acquaintance and she made a very interesting comment. She said she doesn’t see her dentist for her regular check-up and clean as she brushes daily, doesn’t have any tooth pain and is overall very healthy. I didn’t get a chance to explain to her more but today I’ll explain why we call you every 6 months for your check-up and clean and why we spend at least half an hour at your check-up appointment.
Did you know your dental and gum health affects your general health? The answer is undeniably YES, there is a synergistic relationship between oral health and overall wellness.
What does Oral Health mean?
Good oral health is defined as the absence of oral disease and your ability to function without discomfort or embarrassment, such as eating, socialising, and speaking. Definition of good oral health
So how can poor oral health affect you? You may experience:
Dental pain
Difficulty eating
Impaired speech
Loss of self esteem
Decreased overall quality of life due to the above factors
5 reasons to improve your Oral Health
For your Heart
Love your teeth and your heart!
Did you know heart disease is the major cause of death in Australia? Whilst there are several factors involved, many studies have found that the severity of gum disease was related to heart attacks regardless of your age. This is because bacteria causing inflammation in the gums can enter the bloodstream, leading to more inflammation of other parts of the body including the blood vessels and heart. This in turn increases your risk of heart disease.
For your Diabetes
Love your teeth and control your blood sugar levels.
Diabetes, caused by irregular blood sugar levels, can affect the entire body including slow wound healing and lowered resistance to infection. Due to their increased risk of infection, people with diabetes are more likely to have gum disease. In fact, there is increasing evidence of a 2-way relationship between gum disease and diabetes whereby the presence of gum disease may make it more difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar.
For your Lungs
Love your teeth and your lungs!
For those who have a higher risk of lung diseases such as elderly adults living in nursing homes and people in intensive care units, improved oral hygiene and frequent professional oral health care decreases the progression of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. This is because elderly and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to inhale bacteria in the mouth that then cause lung infection.
For your Brain
Love your teeth and your brain!
The most common kind of stroke, cerebrovascular ischaemic stroke, is due to an obstruction within the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain. Gum disease causes the body to release proteins in response to the bacteria and toxins. These proteins then accumulate and form plaque on the blood vessel walls which can be dislodged at any time, travel through your bloodstream and into the brain where the blood vessels are smaller leading to clotting and stroke.
For your Baby
Love your teeth and your baby!
Expectant mothers have lots to think about, and the last thing you’d feel like doing is brushing your teeth and flossing gums, right? It is commonly known that maternal infection is implicated in preterm and low-birthweight (LBW) babies. What is less commonly known is that infection-causing bacteria from gum disease may also increase the chances of these pregnancy issues. Furthermore, due to hormonal changes, pregnant women are more likely to develop or worsen existing gum disease.
Infographic: Poor Oral Health can affect your overall health.
Family, Health, Happiness Our values at Jaco Dental.
We care about you and your health. As your dentist we are limited to checking your oral health but in calling you back every 6 months for a check-up and clean and spending at least 30 minutes with you, we hope to identify any oral health issues early and provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to care for your teeth daily. In doing so we work with you to look after your gums and teeth and in turn care for your overall health and well-being.
Make an appointment for your gap-free check-up and clean. Call us on 9411 5583 or fill in our online appointment request form. See you soon!