[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Good dental health can brighten your smile, prevent gum disease and tooth decay, and avoid the need for implants, dentures, root canals, crowns and other fixes. You might not be aware, though, of the strong connection between dental health and overall health.
“You’re
not healthy without good oral health,” Dr. C. Everett Koop, then the U.S. surgeon general, declared in 1993.
According to the
CareQuest Institute for Dental Health and the
National Library of Medicine, poor dental health might:
- Make it more difficult to manage diabetes and heart disease
- Be associated with obesity
- Increase the risk of glaucoma, a vision-damaging disease
- Raise the risk of oral cancer
- Bump up the risk of dementia
- Lead to a common sexually transmitted infection known as human papillomavirus, or HPV
- Cause problems with pregnancy such as premature birth, low birthweight, stillbirth and miscarriage
- Contribute to poor mental health
Meanwhile, the
American Dental Association points out that a number of conditions can affect oral health. They include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Sleep disorders
- HIV
- Multiple sclerosis
Among the
other issues that can harm dental health are poor diet, alcohol abuse, tobacco use and lack of access to high-quality dental care, says the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
In many cases, a disease can both affect and be affected by dental health.
For example, according to the UPenn dental school, diabetes decreases your body’s resistance to infection, leaving you vulnerable to gum disease. “At the same time,” the school says, “gum disease makes it harder to control blood sugars, underscoring why oral health needs to be a priority for people with diabetes.”
The connection between dental health and overall health
So, what are the two main factors that drive the connection between oral health and overall health? The American Dental Association identifies them as:
- Chronic inflammation in the mouth. This inflammation may boost the number of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream that affect your body’s ability to fight disease.
- Bacteria in the mouth. The mouth “may act as a reservoir” for disease-causing germs, the association says.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the three
oral conditions that most affect your overall health and quality of life are:
- Cavities
- Severe tooth loss
- Severe gum disease
One of the diseases closely associated with cavities is diabetes. The CDC says
adults 20 and older who have diabetes are 40% more likely to have untreated cavities than similar adults who don’t have diabetes. Furthermore, gum disease ranks as a major cause of tooth loss.
“The health of our mouth, or oral health, is more important than many of us may realize,” the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University
emphasizes.
How to improve your dental health (and overall health)
To improve your odds of achieving good oral health and overall health, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research recommends regular
brushing and flossing to remove dental plaque. Dental plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that the institute says can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
Here are some
tips for maintaining good oral hygiene from the dental institute, the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Colgate toothpaste and toothbrush brand:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Replace your toothbrush at least every three months. “Old, worn toothbrushes don’t clean as effectively, and they can harbor bacteria,” Colgate says.
- Clean between your teeth, ideally once a day. Options include dental floss, a special dental brush, a dentist-approved wooden or plastic pick, or a water flosser.
- Chew sugar-free xylitol gum between meals or when you aren’t able to brush your teeth after a meal.
- Visit your dentist for routine checkups and cleaning. The typical person should visit their dentist twice a year.
- Drink fluoridated water. “Drinking water with the right amount of fluoride protects your teeth throughout the day,” the dental institute says.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your chances of getting gum disease.
- Cut down on eating sugary foods and drinking sugary beverages.
- Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, which can be acidic and erode tooth enamel.
- Eat “teeth-cleaning foods.” Chewing on crunchy fruits and vegetables can help scrub plaque from your teeth, according to Colgate. Furthermore, these fruits and vegetables stimulate the flow of saliva. Saliva can help wash away plaque, bacteria and food debris, and can help neutralize harmful acids.
“Good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist, combined with a healthy lifestyle and avoiding risks like excess sugar and smoking, help to keep your smile and body healthy,” the T.H. Chan School of Public Health says.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179590" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731101879033{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/radius-anywhere-floss-biodegradable-silk"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179593" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731101891829{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/unpaste-fluoride-toothpaste-tabs-mint"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179592" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731101905748{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/primal-life-organics-premium-dirty-mouth-powdered-mineral-toothpaste-whitening-peppermint"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
