Your oral health is important, which is why you’re constantly striving to improve it. Your dentist in Los Angeles says that when you take the time to care for your mouth, teeth and gums properly, you aren’t just ensuring that you’ll have a nice smile; you are also positively impacting your overall wellness. As you read on, you’ll learn why the mouth is considered to be the window into the health of the rest of your body.
How are Your Oral and Total Health Connected?
One of the reasons that your mouth is so integral to your overall wellness is the law of gravity. Things always fall from above down below. Thus, the blood that permeates your gums travels down throughout the rest of your body. If that blood is homeostatic, then it positively contributes to the health of the rest of your structure. If it’s infected, however, you could have adverse effects in the areas that it travels to.
Whether it’s in regard to your oral or total care, the primary nemesis is the bacterium. When fed, it grows exponentially and can lead to a chaotic situation for your overall wellness.
How Oral Care Problems Can Impact Your Body
As already mentioned, infected blood that travels down from the gums can cause a host of problems, which include:
- Oral Cancer/HPV – When bacteria grows out of control in your mouth, you become more vulnerable to gum disease. The latter can make your susceptible to oral cancer, which has been found to be linked to human papillomavirus (HPV). Again, the catalyst of this chain reaction of events is the bacterium.
- Heart Disease – If you’re suffering from a gum infection, you’re also in danger of developing heart issues. That’s because the infected blood creates inflammation (plaque), which can then travel down to the heart. The transported dental plaque can then become arterial plaque, causing dangerous blockages.
- Pancreatic Cancer – As the infected blood flows down from your mouth, you could be at a greater risk for pancreatic cancer, due to your immune system being compromised.
- Alzheimer’s Disease – Not only does blood flow downward, it also travels up to the brain. Thus, poor oral care has been found to be linked to Alzheimer’s Disease, a condition that slowly wears down the brain.
Thankfully, you’re not doomed to have to face these problems. Taking a more proactive approach to your oral care will vastly improve your dental health and greatly enhance your total wellness.
Keep These Tips in Mind
In your attempt to be as healthy as you can be, consider these simple tips:
- Practice Excellent Oral Hygiene – Brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day is a major piece to your wellness plan. These two practices directly address the biggest catalyst of all of the conditions mentioned – bacteria.
- Visit Your Dentist Regularly – Along with practicing excellent oral hygiene, be sure to visit your dentist for cleanings and checkups every six months. By doing this consistently, you can feel safe and assured that your mouth, teeth and gums are clean and that you’re also contributing to having a stronger body.
To schedule a semi-annual appointment for preventive care, reach out to your emergency dentist in Los Angeles today!
About the Author
Dr. Les Latner earned his dental degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Dental Medicine. He has gone on to provide patients with skilled and compassionate care for the last three decades. In addition to caring for his patients, Dr. Latner has remained very active, lecturing, writing peer-reviewed articles and taking continuing education hours. For your preventive dentistry needs, you can find Dr. Latner at Westside Dental Associates and he can be reached for more information through his website.