It’s no secret that oral health is essential. After all, your mouth is one of the first places disease and infection can take hold. That’s why it’s so important to make oral hygiene a priority in your life. But did you know that oral health is also closely linked to your overall health and well-being?
Oral health problems can cause oral pain, oral discomfort, and tooth loss. But they can also cause infections that spread to other body areas. In some cases, these oral infections can be life-threatening if left untreated.
If you have any oral health issues or symptoms like bleeding gums or cavities, it’s essential to see your dentist as soon as possible for an oral checkup and consultation. Your dentist will look at your teeth and gums to determine what kind of treatment is needed to improve your oral health.
Dealing with Oral Health Problems
These days, more people are becoming more conscious of their oral health. This is because neglecting oral health problems will lead to other health problems that might be too expensive to deal with later.
For instance, a replacement tooth will cost you more than oral checkups and oral treatment. Therefore, more people these days are focusing on achieving better health outcomes.
Below are five health problems that you can develop because of oral health problems:
1. Heart disease
Heart disease can be caused by oral bacteria entering the bloodstream. The bacteria can attach to fatty plaques on the inside of blood vessels and form a clot, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Inflammation caused by oral health problems like gingivitis can lead to the hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis), a significant cause behind heart attacks and strokes among millions worldwide today. When oral bacteria enter into your bloodstream through bleeding gums or mouth sores, they attach themselves to fatty deposits in artery walls, causing them to narrow over time. This increases your risk for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke by up to 50 percent!
2. Tooth decay and gum disease
According to oral specialists, tooth decay is the most common oral problem among children aged 12 and younger. Tooth loss is a significant problem in older adults because it can lead to chewing difficulties, affecting nutritional intake.
Gum disease may make you more vulnerable to medical conditions such as pneumonia, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis if left untreated by an oral doctor or dentist near your area. Therefore, it’s essential to visit your dentist regularly to prevent more health problems from developing.
3. Cancer
Oral health problems can also lead to cancer. Oral cancer is a form of oral disease that’s more common in adults, but it can also happen to children and teens. It is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide today and kills around 3,000 Americans every year.
Health experts link most oral cancers with smoking cigarettes or tobacco use, making oral health problems harder to treat if you’re a smoker. If you have an oral problem right now like tooth decay, bleeding gums, bad breath (halitosis), mouth sores, or soft tissue lesions on your tongue or cheek lining that don’t go away after two weeks, visit your dentist immediately for treatment so that you don’t develop mouth cancer or other health problems.
4. Diabetes
People suffering from oral health problems might develop diabetes as oral bacteria can trigger inflammation of the blood vessels. Oxidative stress from oral health problems can also increase your risk for diabetes because it raises insulin resistance, increasing your chances of developing Type II diabetes in the long run. Therefore, it’s best to take care of your mouth to avoid developing diabetes.
5. Pneumonia
Oral health problems can also lead to pneumonia, a life-threatening lung infection. Research has shown that oral health problems are one of the leading causes of pneumonia in adults 65 years and older. People with oral health problems often have difficulty swallowing, which can cause food or liquids to enter the lungs and lead to pneumonia.
Many people neglect their oral health because they think that it’s not that important. However, oral health should be a top priority because it impacts your overall health and well-being. By putting oral health first, you can avoid developing serious health problems down the road.
Sure, it might be costly to get oral health care. But it’s worth investing because oral health plays an essential role in your overall well-being and quality of life. Neglecting your oral health now will lead to more expenses down the line.
