Mouth is the gateway to the body: connections between oral and general health

Next time you go to the dentist for a routine dental checkup, don’t be surprised if the dentist refers you to your doctor for evaluation. A lot of health problems can manifest in the mouth before you experience other symptoms. If a dentist suspects that you are showing oral signs of diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, that referral could potentially save your life. Neglecting your teeth can also lead to health issues that can hurt your overall health.

Connections between Oral and General Health

There is a connection between your mouth and general health. As bacteria builds up in your teeth, your gums are prone to infection. From here to gum disease, it can be one small step. The thing to keep in mind is that the immune system will focus mostly on keeping your gums safe.

As a result, your body will be less protected against a variety of bacteria or germs. And yes, you can end up with various infections because your body is focused on dealing with your gum disease. In time, dental bacteria can also lead to inflammation. Which can lead to serious problems in your entire body as well.

There’s also a connection between diabetes and periodontitis as well. The inflammation that starts in your body will end up weakening your body’s ability to control blood sugar levels. As a result, you will end up not being able to control your sugar levels properly. And in the end, this can be extremely problematic, as you can imagine. High blood sugar encourages the appearance of massive infections, and that can be a really bad thing to have.

How dental health can affect your heart?

We mentioned earlier that your dental health can affect your heart health too. The reason why you need a Dental checkup is that inflammation in your blood vessels (caused by an improper dental health) can end up affecting your heart health too. In fact, it actually leads to things like an increased heart attack risks. This will end up increasing the blood pressure, to the point where it can encourage the appearance of a stroke or heart attack.

An improper oral health can also lead to pregnancy problems as well. Gum disease, in particular, can lead mothers to the birth of a child with lung or heart conditions, even learning disorders. It’s extremely important to opt for periodontal exams during pregnancy, just to make sure that everything is ok.

Moreover, dental problems are also connected to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can end up affecting the long bones in the arms and legs. But the challenge is that gum disease can encourage osteoporosis due to the increased inflammation caused by this condition.

As you can see, the mouth is indeed a gateway to the entire body. If you really want to take care of your body properly, remember that you have to clean your teeth often. A proper dental checkup every six months will also help you not only maintain your oral health and prevent any diseases that may lead to health problems but will also help your dentist catch certain systemic diseases early.

If you’re interested in getting a dental checkup and learning more about your oral health, call Sunny Family Dental to book an appointment. Call (909) 606-4337 or request an appointment at https://sunnyfamilydental.com/contact-us