The oral cavity can be an indicator of overall health. Many diseases that affect the body are first visibly noticed by an examination of the mouth. This explains why doctors always examine your tongue during check ups and when looking to make a diagnosis. But it can also work the other way round. Your overall health can be affected by the health of your mouth.
In fact, we often tend to look at our bodies as a set of distinct parts but in reality it is an incredibly complex and intricate system where all parts are interconnected and affect each other. This means that any problem affecting the oral cavity can also have effects on other parts of the body. This is especially true of the mouth because it acts as a gateway to the rest of the body.
Dental problems such as dental decay and gum disease are caused by bacteria and plaque building up in the mouth. If this is not cleaned well enough it will begin to remove tooth enamel and irritate the gums. If these issues are addressed soon enough, they can be easily treated but many patients think that dental problems will clear up on their own. This could be very dangerous because if infection us allowed to take hold, either in a decaying tooth or in the gum tissue, it can easily spread to other parts of the mouth and even enter the bloodstream.
Recent medical findings have proved that oral infections can be responsible for heart disease and could even be the cause of heart attacks. This is obviously a very serious health consequence of poor oral hygiene but one that could be very important to be aware of, especially if you are otherwise at risk. Other health consequences are also common, especially for patients suffering with chronic conditions such as diabetes or other immune deficiencies.
Looking after your teeth with effective oral hygiene and regular check ups with a City of Leeds dentist could keep your mouth and your whole body free from disease and in a healthy condition.
Tags: decaying tooth, heart disease, oral cavity, poor oral hygiene
