It is easy to imagine your mouth as being a separate entity, but it is closely connected to the rest of your body, and your oral health greatly influences your overall health. Good dental hygiene is more important than you may think.
What Happens When You Fail to Brush and Floss Regularly?
When you fail to take care of your mouth, bacteria quickly build up and especially on your gums which are prone to infection. Your body’s immune system tries to fight this infection, producing inflammation. Over time, the inflammation destroys your gums, and they begin to bleed, creating a condition known as severe gum disease or periodontitis. Unfortunately, periodontitis has been linked to other serious health conditions that include diabetes, heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis and even complications during pregnancy.
What is This Connection?
Currently, scientists aren’t exactly sure of the exact link, but when your gums bleed it allows mouth bacteria to enter your bloodstream. From there they can travel anywhere in your body and can create new sites of inflammation. Bacteria connected to gum disease have been discovered in the brain, and in the arteries in the heart. Their presence can make it harder for people with diabetes to control blood sugar levels.
Looking after your mouth can do far more than just give you a beautiful smile.