Regular dental visits are about more than maintaining your aesthetic appeal. A dental exam can also uncover a lot about your whole-body health, including revealing your risk level for chronic disease.
The research suggests that mouth health is a mirror to your internal condition. Chances are if your oral health is good, so is the condition of your body overall. Poor dental hygiene habits can affect not only your teeth and gums; it can threaten your entire well-being. Studies have also proven that good oral health can even prevent some chronic diseases from developing.
Gum Disease and Health Complications
A link has been found between gum disease and common health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Pregnant women with gum disease are at a higher risk of delivering low birth weight babies, pre-term.
In addition, over 90 percent of all systemic diseases display oral manifestations including dry mouth, persistent gum problems, swelling, and ulcers. Such health conditions include:
Fortunately, most people do have routine dental check-ups making their dentist the first line of defense against worsening health problems when detected at the early stages.
Poor Oral Health = Poor Overall Health
Proper dental care is the key to good oral health. If you don’t have good oral hygiene practices, you are putting your overall health condition at risk. You may develop any of the following bodily issues:
The Key to Oral Health
Keeping up with routine dental visits will help maintain your oral health and allow your dentist near you to look for changes. Regular dental exams reveal a lack of good nutrition, poor oral hygiene, jaw misalignment issues, and problems with growth or development.