What Does Dental Hygiene Do for Overall Health?
Brushing and flossing your teeth may save you extra sessions in the dentist’s chair each year, but the benefits of dental hygiene do not end with pearly whites. In fact, there’s a direct correlation between oral hygiene and overall health. Oral health offers clues about overall health, advises the Mayo Clinic. When a dentist or hygienist checks a person’s mouth, he or she is getting a window into that person’s overall wellness Ñ including if something is amiss.
Dental hygiene matters because, without proper brushing and flossing, bacteria in the mouth can grow unchecked. Over time, that bacteria can infiltrate and break down the soft tissues in the gums and teeth, eventually leading to decay and gum disease. Greenwood Dental Care in Illinois states that the bacteria from the mouth could travel into the bloodstream and elsewhere, causing a host of issues.
There’s a high correlation between an unhealthy mouth and systemic diseases. The United Kingdom-based dental group Fulham Road Dental indicates that gum disease is linked to heart problems, kidney diseases and certain types of cancer.
Excerpted from Southeast Iowa Union
