Often the most understated practices in our health is dental hygiene. Neither we make regular trips to a dentist’s chair nor we like being told how to brush our teeth although it is well documented that oral health has a link to our overall health.
Pregnant ladies are recommended to schedule regular dental appointments to make sure they do not suffer from any gum problems. Gingivitis can grow acute during pregnancy. Other gum problems can lead to preterm or low birth weight infants. Not only gum problems affect pregnant ladies but it can make other health conditions worse.
Dental Hygiene and Relation to Other Diseases
Bad dental hygiene makes it harder to control Blood Sugar levels
Gum inflammation and periodontal disease can make it difficult to control the blood sugar levels and make you prone to diabetes. On the other hand, diabetic people must be careful with their oral health as they are more prone to periodontal diseases.
Bad dental hygiene means more infections and inflammations
There is a link between gum disease and development of rheumatoid arthritis. Gum diseases can also lead to lung infections, especially pneumonia.
Bad dental hygiene leads to Heart Risks
The bacteria which causes gum inflammation can travel to the arteries of the heart through the blood stream. It can cause hardening of the arteries by depositing plaque on the walls leading to thickening of the walls and reduced blood flow which in turn may cause heart stroke.
Bad Dental hygiene can affect Brain
People with gingivitis perform poorly in cognitive skills and memory tests than people without the condition. The bacteria causing gum inflammation may enter your brain through the blood stream and cause Alzeihmer’s.
Did you ever know that dental hygiene can affect our health in such an influential way? This makes it even more important to realise the importance of the dreaded dentist’s chair and get regular scaling done.
How to maintain Dental Hygiene?
- Brush your teeth twice a day.
- Brush towards the direction of the growth of the teeth – vertically downwards for the upper set of teeth and vertically upwards for the lower set of teeth. Do not ignore the back side of the teeth. The gum fibres also rest in the same direction. Following the direction would ensure you do not disturb the gum fibres.
- Use mouth wash or salt water to gargle at least once a week or daily if you have any oral infection.
- Use tongue cleaners to ensure no bacteria gets left behind.
- Always use mouth wash after eating or drinking anything to avoid staining and build-up.
- Flossing can be done at least once a day to ensure nothing remains behind between your teeth.
Regular dental checkups would make sure you do not have to avail your health insurance regularly. Better yet, listen to the podcast on oral health and hygiene by Cigna TTK and make sure you and your teeth are safe and happy.
Subha Bose says
August 4, 2016 at 2:38 PMAwesome tips, salt water google really helps.
Swati says
August 8, 2016 at 10:15 PMhi Subha. welcome to my blog 🙂 sorry, the link got removed by mistake and I am not able to undo it 🙁
Morgan says
August 5, 2016 at 12:13 AMI could not agree with you more! Dental hygiene is so important and can really make a huge difference in the way the rest of your body feels. Thanks so much for addressing this so clearly! Great read!
Laurie says
September 10, 2016 at 9:57 PMBrushing your teeth 3 times a day, flossing once a day, and twice a year dentist visits are very important for keeping your mouth in great shape. It is best to keep sugar to a minimum as well. Great tips, thanks for sharing!
Vijay says
September 12, 2016 at 1:05 PMThanks for the share
Dr. manish soni says
October 22, 2016 at 11:42 PMYes it has been proved that poor oral hygiene has been associated with many systemic condition and worsen it further.Tips for maintaining oral hygiene are great.I would also suggest the use of electronic tooth brush for proper teeth cleaning.
Jade says
November 16, 2016 at 7:15 AMOur dental hygiene can definitely affect our health. It’s unfortunate that so many people don’t like to go to the dentist, because it is such an important part of oral health care, and having poor oral health can affect many parts of your life.
Tabor Lacombe says
February 8, 2017 at 12:52 PMGreat Post!
Thank you so much for sharing this informative post.Dry mouth is a fairly common side effect for people taking a wide range of medications, particularly if when someone is taking a lot of different medications as they tend to all work together to impact on saliva flow. Saliva is really important to be able to talk and chew and gives lubrication, which protects teeth from decay. It helps to wash away food and acid and provides a buffer against harm. People with low saliva flow are often at much higher risk of tooth decay. Thank you so much again for sharing this post.
Jeremy Clarkson says
February 12, 2018 at 11:42 AMI had no idea my gum disease could affect my blood sugar until my dentist in Houston mentioned it! Ever since I started my periodontal treatments my diabetes has been much easier to manage.
Andy Flower says
May 17, 2018 at 12:54 AMWow! How interesting. I didn’t know that oral hygiene affects your health so much! I’m going to talk to my dentist in Pasadena, Tx, Town Square Dental, about this!
Elias Cooper says
May 19, 2018 at 3:05 AMThank you for this informative article, could possibly really help someone! I had no idea gum disease had such an effect on blood sugar levels until my dentist in Richmond, TX pointed it out and suggested gum disease treatment. I started my deep cleanings in Richmond 2 years ago and my diabetes has never been better! I find it much easier now to manage it day to day and it reduces a lot of my everyday stress. Plus, my smile looks and feels much better! If you suffer from diabetes, I’d suggest visiting your doctor to address any oral health complications.