Oral Health: A Window To Your Body's Health

Maintaining good oral health is critical for a beautiful smile and pain free teeth and gums. But did you know that your oral health may affect your body's health too?? Your mouth is normally teeming with bacteria. Usually you can keep these bacteria under control with good oral health care, such as daily brushing and flossing. When your gums are healthy, bacteria in your mouth usually don't enter your bloodstream. However, gum disease may provide bacteria a port of entry into your bloodstream. Some of the diseases and conditions that may be linked to oral health:

Cardiovascular disease. Growing evidence suggests that poor oral health can lead to a heart attack or stroke. More and more studies are finding a link between and periodontal (gum) disease and cardiovascular disease. In one study, the risk for heart attack among people with periodontal disease was nearly three times higher than those without it.

Pregnancy and birth. Gum disease has been linked to premature birth. This is why it's vital to maintain excellent oral health before you get pregnant and during your pregnancy.

Diabetes. Diabetes increases your risk of gum disease, cavities, tooth loss, dry mouth and a variety of oral infections. Conversely, poor oral health can make your diabetes more difficult to control. Infections may cause your blood sugar to rise and require more insulin to keep it under control.

HIV/AIDS. Oral problems are very common if you have HIV/AIDS. Common symptoms include ulcers, dry mouth and related painful mucosal lesions. Mouth problems are caused by either fungal, viral or bacterial infections and, in some cases, one of the first signs of AIDS may be severe gum infection. You may also develop persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth.

Osteoporosis. The first stages of bone loss may show up in your teeth. Systemic loss of bone density in osteoporosis, including bone in the jaw, may create a condition where the bone supporting your teeth is increasingly susceptible to infectious destruction. Your dentist may be able to spot this on a routine clinical examination or with dental X-rays.

	What Is Good Oral Health?
	The first key to good oral health is to brush your teeth as often as your dentist recommends. Also check with your dentist if there is a right toothbrush for you. When it comes to technique, it’s not how hard you brush but how you brush. Be sure to reach all the surfaces between your teeth and gums rather than just apply more pressure. Use a back and forth motion to clean the crevices on the chewing surfaces of your teeth Removing food debris from your teeth ensures that sugar and acids don’t wear down the enamel on your teeth, which leads to tooth decay. Don’t forget to brush your tongue and the inside of your cheeks-both have pores where bacteria hide. Use dental floss everyday. Flossing removes tooth decay causing plaque from places where your tooth brush can’t reach, as well as food debris if left between your teeth, causes bad breath and leads to gum disease. Be sure to rinse your mouth when you have finished flossing. Finally, diet contributes to oral health. Sweets, soft drinks and other nonnutritious foods can lead to tooth decay when bacteria in the mouth mix with the sugars in these foods and produce acids that attack the teeth. Limit snacking to help minimize this risk. Drinking water throughout the day also helps rinse the mouth and neutralizes harsh acids.

Seeing a dentist every six months can help identify diseases in their earliest stages. It is also important to provide your dentist with a complete medical/dental history and to inform him or her of any recent problems, even if they seem unrelated to your mouth.

A regular exam also allows your dentist to keep your mouth in tip top shape and watch for developments that may point to problems elsewhere in your body. A dental exam also picks up on poor nutrition and hygiene, growth and development problems and improper jaw alignment

Remember, the condition of the mouth mirrors the condition of the body as a whole.