We all know how important it is to keep our teeth clean and healthy so that eating, drinking and talking can be undertaken with ease. Brushing and flossing stops plaque building up so that teeth stay free from plaque which can cause them to decay and lead to gum disease. But dental health has implications for the rest of your body too and ought to be seen in those terms. By looking after your teeth you are also looking after your general health.
Conditions like gingivitis can actually affect the general health of the rest of your body. It involves your gums becoming inflamed because of a build up of plaque. Infections from this can enter the blood stream and cause complications for the rest of your body. The same can be said of periodontitis, the more severe form of gum disease where the jaw bones become inflamed. The nerves serving the head and face can become compromised in this case, as with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).
If you are experiencing sleep apnea, where you wake up in the night because not enough oxygen is being taken in, this can have an impact on your general health. It can be caused by the muscles at the rear of the mouth relaxing to the point where air stops getting past. The hypertension caused by the lack of quality sleep can heighten the risk of heart attacks in strokes in sufferers.
Keep up the habit of taking good care of your teeth at home and visiting your City of Leeds dentist every six months for a check up and there shouldn’t be any problems. But the fact that dental issues can affect the health of the rest of your body is just another reason to be vigilant.
Tags: brushing flossing, gum disease, plaque, tmj
