According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five adults in the United States ages 20-64 has at least one untreated cavity. That’s significant not just for their oral health but also for their overall wellness, as what happens in your mouth affects the rest of your body.
At Hometown Family Dental Centers, our expert dental professionals understand how important oral health is, both by itself and in conjunction with our patients’ overall wellness. That’s why we provide dental cleanings, root canals, and treatment for gum disease, among many other services at our Fayetteville, Vass, and Raeford, North Carolina, locations.
Keep reading to learn more about how your mouth and your body are connected.
The mouth harbors lots of bacteria, most of which are harmless. However, the mouth is the entry point to both the digestive and respiratory tracts, so these bacteria can travel along those routes to get to other parts of your body.
Most often, your immune system and good oral hygiene practices can keep the bacteria – even the bad kind – under control. If you slack off, though, these bacteria can reach levels that lead to tooth decay, infections, and gum disease.
Though there’s no definitive cause-and-effect data on this relationship, the association between oral and overall health is widely held by researchers and dental professionals alike.
Poor oral health can play a role in:
This infection of the inner lining of your heart valves and chambers, known as the endocardium, can occur when bacteria travel from your mouth through your bloodstream to your heart.
Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders associated with your heart and blood vessels. Poor oral health is connected with clogged arteries, heart disease, and stroke, most likely due to bacterial infections and general inflammation.
Pneumonia is an infection of the airways that can occur when bacteria spread from your mouth through your respiratory tract.
Severe periodontal disease in pregnant women has been associated with systemic (body-wide) inflammation, which can trigger premature deliveries, low birth weight, and lead to complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
If you’re struggling with the pain and discomfort of untreated cavities or some form of gum disease, it can impact your ability to eat, leading to malnutrition.
There’s also been discussion of a possible association between oral health and Alzheimer’s disease. Some researchers believe that inflammatory proteins and oral bacteria from gum disease travel to the brain, where they may deepen cognitive decline and worsen the disease’s effects.
Want to learn how you can improve your oral health so you can improve your overall well-being? Hometown Family Dental Centers can help with that.
To schedule an appointment, contact our office by phone or on the website.
