How Dental Hygiene Affects Your Health

You always hear about dental hygiene and how important it is. But did you know that it's not only important because it affects your teeth and gums? Dental hygiene is also important as it affects your health.

First of all, what is dental hygiene? Dental hygiene cleans your teeth daily by brushing your teeth at least two to three times a day with fluoride toothpaste that has been approved by the American dental association. You should also brush your teeth at least once a day to make sure you remove any plaques and other debris that may be caught between your teeth. Another aspect of dental hygiene is to eat a balanced diet and see your dentist for regular examinations. All of these are part of the dental hygiene.

Dental hygiene affects your health more than you think. If you do not brush your teeth, plaque can form on a regular basis. Plaque is a type of bacteria that forms above your gum line. If you do not follow your dental hygiene by cleaning and flossing daily, the plaque will turn into tartar. Once a plaque turns into tartar the only way to get rid of it is to see your dentist. Your dentist has a procedure called scaling to release coral. If tartar is not removed, you can develop gum disease such as gingivitis. If you have gingivitis and cannot be treated it can be a more serious peroidontitis.

Periodontitis is a serious form of gingivitis that is a serious form of infection. Damages include bone weakness, loose teeth or tooth loss. There are also recent studies showing that periodontitis can be associated with stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

Periodontitis can cause stroke, diabetes, and heart disease due to inflammation in the mouth. Inflammation in the mouth causes white blood cells and proteins to increase production that helps fight infection. Increased production of white blood cells and proteins causes negative side effects. The negative side effect is that inflammation not only causes your gums to become inflamed, but infections cause it to enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation in the arteries. Causing inflammation in the arteries makes them more susceptible to cholesterol and fat deposition. Following cholesterol and fat deposition in your arteries is what leads to heart attacks and stroke. Studies have shown that people who have more plaque and bacteria in their mouth are at higher risk for heart disease and stroke.

Also if you have existing heart disease, you should make sure to keep your dental hygiene clean. Dental hygiene can affect your health. For example, if you start bleeding in your mouth and bacteria from your gums enter your bloodstream and stay in the abnormal valve it can cause serious infections.

Another way to cleanse your health is to get older. If you do not take care of your teeth now you may need to have dentures or you may have oral infections. Having poor oral or dental infections can lead to weight loss or lack of nutrition.

All of these examples are how oral hygiene affects your health. If you would like more detailed information or have questions that you would like to answer about how oral hygiene affects your health, contact your dentist or doctor and let them know about your concerns. Your dentist or doctor will be able to help you figure out what you need to do to get the best dental hygiene based on your age and the health problems you have.

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