Once our baby teeth drop out, we only get one set of adult teeth, and it’s our responsibility to keep hold of them for as long as we can. Having an unhygienic mouth is asking for health issues. The reason for this is that the mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria that has links to different parts of the body. To keep on top of your dental hygiene you should brush your teeth for two minutes twice daily and use floss to reach those difficult places. One of the most common issues faced by unhygienic dental care is gum disease, which occurs as a result of plaque building up beneath the gum – you can end up having teeth removed and suffering extremely bad breath. One of the earliest signs is bleeding gums. For a further look at possible side effects, carry on reading as we advise you on how to maintain a bright style and what could happen if you neglect your dental hygiene.
How To Keep Your Smile Bright
There a plenty of ways that you can maintain a healthy mouth. On the most basic level, you should be using an electric toothbrush and flossing. Further, you can use mouthwash to help keep things fresh and white. However, you need to be careful not to use mouthwash straight after you’ve brushed your teeth – otherwise, the brushing was pointless. When you choose your mouthwash and toothpaste, you should ensure they contain fluoride (which adds a protective coating to your teeth).
Your oral hygiene should go further than just brushing your teeth. You can help protect your gnashers by eating the right type of food. Sugary foods cause havoc for the teeth and should be swapped out for sugar-free options if they can be. Further, you can take certain supplements that promote oral hygiene. An obvious lifestyle change to make is smoking, despite it being highly addictive it can cause a range of health problems including cancers and respiratory problems.
Crooked teeth can make it hard to achieve good dental hygiene because food gets trapped and flossing is difficult. One solution is to use invisible aligners to straighten your teeth, such as those from ALIGNERCO. They offer home impression kits, and their technicians can create custom aligners for your teeth. You don’t need to worry about affordability with ALIGNERCO, as they offer a range of financing options. Your dream smile could be closer than you think.
Respiratory Problems
Oral diseases like periodontal disease can spread through your bloodstream and attack your lungs. This will seriously aggravate your respiratory system. If you have suffered such issues before you will be extremely susceptible. There has been a proven correlation between severe gum disease and bronchitis. If that isn’t enough to keep on top of your dental hygiene, let’s take a look at more health risks.
Arthritis
Research carried out by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society found a distinct relationship between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The reason behind this is that both diseases are caused by inflammation. When people suffer from gingivitis, heavy amounts of bacteria are released into the body and this can trigger rheumatoid arthritis, which is extremely painful.
Increased Dementia Risk
Talk about losing your teeth being the only problem. You could be faced with losing your memory and developing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The reason behind this is that gum infections are capable of releasing inflammatory substances to the brain. These substances plague the mind and can cause the death of brain cells. In addition, managing an Alzheimer’s patient’s oral health may be challenging which may worsen the existing condition. Think about that the next time you’re reminiscing about good days and forgot to brush your teeth in the morning.
Potential Stroke/Heart Disease
This is another problem that can be caused by periodontal disease, whose sufferers are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease. The reason behind this is that bacteria in the plaque enter the bloodstream. Not only does your blood now have bacteria in but it’s known for clogging arteries. The decrease in blood and oxygen to the heart can lead to heart attacks. Further, the blood vessels that travel through the brain can become clogged and cause a stroke.
Premature Birth
There are a staggering 15 million premature births around the world. When a baby is born premature, they haven’t got all of the protective cells that they should off. This means that they are unfortunately at an increased risk of problems including respiratory. According to experts, the most common reason for premature births comes from infections from the mother. The most common part of the body to have an infection is in the mouth. When women are pregnant, they should practice using mouth wash and flossing – this will help kill infections and can stave off a premature birth.
Erectile Dysfunction
This is an unfortunate side effect for the men out there. In the same way that gum disease bacteria can clog your vessels, cause heart problems, and boost stroke chances, it can also damage the vessels around your genitals. With the blood flow blocked, you may have a hard time seeing life downstairs.
Infertility Problems
Further than premature births and some problems in the male genital department, poor oral hygiene can cause infertility. This information hails from research that found women with gum disease took up to 12 months longer to conceive than those without the disease. If you’re having issues getting pregnant and can’t find a logical reason why – consider looking at your dental hygiene.
Cancer
Cancer is a terrible disease that haunts thousands of families every day. There have been proven links that show that men with gum disease are around 50% more likely to develop cancer of the kidney. Further, smoking can increase the risk of oral cancer and is something that can be easily managed – there are plenty of alternatives to smoking these days that aren’t packed full of harmful toxins. For example, you could choose to vape, use patches, or chew Nicorette.
You should visit your dentist regularly to help catch mouth-related cancers early. The earlier you catch the issues the better chance you have of beating it.
Diabetes
Gum disease is often linked to diabetes, with 96% of all American adults with diabetes having oral hygiene issues. Managing diabetes is all about controlling blood sugars. However, those people with periodontal disease may find it more difficult to manage levels. Losing control of blood sugars can cause organ damage, mood changes, and may cause other problems.
Looking after our oral hygiene is important. We only get one set of adult teeth, and we need to do whatever we can to protect them. The last thing you want is for your teeth to fall out because you’ve developed gum disease, and that be followed by difficulty breathing, strokes, heart disease, infertility problems, and various forms of cancer. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, use mouthwash, and floss daily. Further, regular visits to the dentist and hygienist will help keep everything clean and will help any concerning medical problems be caught early. So, the next time you’re stood in the bathroom for two minutes, you can remember exactly why.
