This post will help you learn how your dental care correlates with the overall picture of health across multiple body systems. Many thanks to Dr. Amanda Tavoularis of dentably.com for contributing this informative guest post!
These days, there is a lot of focus on healthy living. Everyone wants to get a healthy diet, a great exercise routine, mental health check-ins, and regular doctor visits. This is fantastic! The one thing that people tend to overlook is their dental care. The longstanding fear of dentists still exists despite advancements in technology, eliminating most of the worst fears and pains associated with dental care. Ironically, this very avoidance can cause all sorts of issues – not just with your mouth but your overall health and wellness.
Did you know that your oral health is connected to the rest of your body? There is a myriad of scientifically proven connections between oral health and the rest of your body. Poor oral health can lead to cardiovascular issues, dementia, and a breakdown of your connective tissues, among other problems. Here are just a few examples.
Gum Disease and Infertility
If you are trying to keep your body healthy while you try to conceive, then you may be interested to find out that there is a scientific connection between infertility and gum disease. Studies conducted with both men and women have shown this to be true.
For men, if your mouth has issues, then so will your semen. Studies have shown that men with gum disease also have an increased percentage of male factor infertility. Compared with men who have healthy mouths, their sperm counts are lower, and they swim much slower, oftentimes not making it to the egg in time for insemination.
In women, those with healthy mouths conceive 2 months faster on average than those who suffer from gum disease. Although a healthy mouth does not guarantee that you will be able to conceive, if both the mother and father have healthy mouths, there is a significantly increased likelihood as compared to those without.
Boosted Immune Systems
Although everyone realizes that nutritious diets are a significant contributing factor to healthy immune systems, many people fail to realize that unhealthy mouths lead to massive immune deficiencies.
When your mouth is not healthy, you place your entire body at risk. Many healthcare issues deal with bacteria, and mouths are a perfect breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria. Between the moist environment, the hot breath, and the food particles that often get caught in teeth, mouths are full of bacteria.
This bacterium can easily migrate. Your mouth has several different species of bacteria – some helpful, some not. If you’ve ever felt slimy teeth, then you’re feeling the presence of bacteria. When you swallow, bacteria move from your mouth to your gut. It can also be transported through your bloodstream. Chewing often pushes bacteria into your blood vessels. When it gets into your bloodstream, it can migrate and infect every area of your body, including your brain.
When the bacterium moves into your body, it triggers an immune system response. The C-reactive protein (CRP) gets released from your liver when inflammation triggers it, and bacteria trigger inflammation. This is a fantastic short-term system that protects your body against things like colds and cases of the flu, but if your oral hygiene is bad and these bacteria are constantly flooding your body, it requires the CRP to constantly release in your system.
This sets off a chain reaction that causes tons of different health issues all over your body. It forces your immune system to work overtime fighting these bacteria and wears it out so that it doesn’t have the energy to fight off bigger battles when your body is attacked.
Cardiovascular Health
Another important system in your body that oral hygiene affects is your cardiovascular health. Studies suggest that brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each may lower your risk for cardiovascular diseases. A similar study showed that gum disease may worsen your blood pressure and interfere with medications that treat hypertension. This study showed that blood pressure medications likely do not work on people who have gum disease, and these people are also less likely to obtain healthy blood pressure.
Maintaining adequate brushing and flossing routines is a very simple thing you can do that will help your heart, your immune system, and multiple other aspects of your body’s overall health!
About the Author
Dr. Amanda Tavoularis has over two decades of experience working as a dental expert. She runs an active practice in Washington and is one of the dental experts on the Dentably team. She has extensive knowledge of dental health and wellness and uses her expertise to educate and inform patients. Dr. Amanda recognizes the importance of a daily dental care routine and specialized treatment plans. That’s why she works diligently with patients and their caregivers to help them have the best dental health possible.