Even though our teeth, mouth and gums are parts of our bodies, many people think about our dental health and our overall health as two completely separate spheres. For example, if you have heart issues or high blood pressure, that doesn’t mean you’ll have bad teeth or vice versa, right? Wrong. Well, sort of. While a lost tooth doesn’t mean that you’re going to die at an earlier age or that you’re “unhealthy,” that doesn’t mean that bad dental health hasn’t been linked to overall health in a number of significant ways. Following is a list of ways that oral health and your overall health have been linked:
-
Pregnancy and Premature Birth — Many studies have shown that pregnant women suffering from gum disease, especially periodontitis, are at a higher risk of giving birth prematurely and low birth weights amongst children.
-
Dry Mouth — Dry mouth can be caused as a result of other conditions such as Diabetes, and many medications that are meant to treat other ailments have a side effect of causing dry mouth — potentially causing significant harm to your dental health.
-
Osteoporosis — One way in which the health of your body can impact the health of your teeth is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes an increased level of weakness and brittleness of the bones. This also applies to the teeth as well meaning sufferers are at higher risks of jaw issues and loose, lost or weakened teeth.
-
Heart Issues — Studies have linked a minor connection between cardiovascular disease and an excess amount of inflammation and infection caused by oral bacteria. Likewise, Endocarditis is an infection of the lining of the wall of the heart from bacterial infection — one source being oral bacteria that travels from the mouth through the bloodstream.
-
Diabetes — Our most recent blog was dedicated to the discussion of how Diabetes can impact your oral health.
-
HIV/AIDS — HIV and AIDS can often cause oral lesions in its early stages.
-
Stress/Anxiety — Stress and Anxiety can lead to grinding of teeth which causes potential problems with tooth sensitivity, occlusion and tooth erosion.
-
…And More — Dental Health and Overall health are heavily linked. There are many more ways in which the health of your gums and teeth and the rest of your body are linked and scientists continue to discover more and more each day.
If you have a question about how dental health and overall health are linked or would like to schedule an appointment at our office, contact Noble Smile Family & Cosmetic Dentistry today.