You have probably been told about the importance of maintaining a healthy set of teeth since you were a child. Your parents and dentist would have told you stories about what happens if you do not brush your teeth, but were they accurate?
There are many consequences for not looking after your teeth properly. Some of these are common sense problems, while others may shock you. The human body is a marvelous thing, which is why you should take care of every aspect. So, let’s look at some of the reasons why looking after your teeth is so important.
It Helps Digestion
Your digestive system is a complex model of intricate systems. Most of us refer to our stomach when thinking about the digestive system; however, the process starts much sooner than you realize.
Your teeth are responsible for breaking down food before it enters the esophagus. Failing to chew properly can lead to common digestive problems, such as acid reflux and indigestion. The only way you can assure that your teeth are doing their job properly is by keeping them healthy.
Even one missing tooth can put extra strain on the rest, which means that they are likely to become more damaged over time. Therefore, looking after your teeth is fundamental for good gut health.
You Can Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease
It may be hard to believe but there is a link between the health of your teeth and heart disease, one of the biggest health issues facing men and women in America. The connection between your mouth and heart disease isn’t as tenuous as you may think either.
Your mouth is full of bacteria. Some of these bacteria are good for you, while others are there to feed on the leftover food on your teeth. As they do this they can cause damage. Unfortunately, too much of this bacteria can cause an infection, one that can find its way into your bloodstream and harden. As you probably know, a hardened substance in your arteries is not good for your circulation. It is this issue that can cause heart problems.
It sounds like a scary prospect; however, these cases are rare and you can prevent bacterial infections by brushing regularly. Also, make sure you are taking advice from your dentist.
It Can Aid your Breathing
The infections mentioned above can be detrimental to your circulatory health, but it also has an impact on your lungs.
The same type of bacterial infection can also be breathed in and find its way into your respiratory system. This infection can take on a new form once inside your lungs. This is where conditions like bronchitis arise, and it can worsen more serious illnesses like pneumonia. Again, this is a rare occurrence but you should still keep on top of your oral care.
Your Teeth Shape Your Face
You may not be aware of this, but the positioning of your teeth is related to the position of your jaw. An askew jaw can cause your teeth to come in crooked or damaged, and you now know some of the issues that can arise from having damaged teeth.
Jaw surgery is a complicated and risky procedure that is only performed in extreme circumstances. Instead, you can fix your crooked tooth problem with braces and aligners. Orthodontists are a standard part of modern life, and you can look online to find all of the information on braces and aligners that you need.
Any major issues with crooked teeth are likely to be solved by your dentist in your teen years; however, you can always look to a company like Alignerco if you have concerns as an adult. What’s more, many aligners now come in an invisible format so those around you won’t even notice the change.
Reducing Your Risk Of Some Cancers
Cancer is an illness that everyone is aware of; however, there are still types of cancer that can catch us off guard. You may not realize it, but mouth cancer is a common occurrence among the American population. This illness is often contracted by eating large amounts of fatty food or smoking cigarettes. Unfortunately, there is also a higher chance of getting mouth cancer if you have poor oral hygiene.
Our gums become inflamed when our teeth are not looked after properly. This inflammation occurs as a way to protect the root of the teeth, but this makes the mouth tissue more susceptible to disease. As a result, scientists have been able to draw a link between poor oral health and certain cancers.
A build-up of bad bacteria in the mouth can cause a disease known as periodontitis. While this disease is not debilitating, it is linked with the early stages of pancreatic cancer. This is a difficult illness to spot, so make sure that you are looking after your teeth properly to give your body the best chance at surviving such a nasty disease.
Easier Pregnancy
It might be hard to believe, but there is a science behind the reason why looking after your teeth can help you have an easier pregnancy. This is because your body is on high alert when you are carrying a child. Your immune system wants to stop anything that could be harmful to both you and the baby. These harmful bodies include dangerous bacteria.
As a result, your immune system will spend an extortionate amount of time trying to fight the bad bacteria in your mouth, rather than any other issues that might arise. Your immune system won’t ignore anything that is extremely harmful; however, it does mean that your body is working overtime. Poor oral health during pregnancy can lead you to feel more tired or even more prone to some infections. That is why it is vital that you do not neglect your dental health when pregnant.
Lower Risk Of Joint Problems
As mentioned previously, your gums become inflamed as a means to protect your teeth further from harmful bacteria. However, you will also recall that it is easy for this bacteria to spread throughout other parts of your body. The rest of your system has the same defensive response as your mouth, which means that you are going to encounter inflammation elsewhere.
Both your joints and blood vessels can swell as a result of this bacteria, which can lead to heart disease as you know. The most common problem that this inflammation can cause is arthritis. The stiffening of joints can be hard to reverse, and you will struggle with aches and pains in certain areas if your poor dental hygiene isn’t resolved.
Kidney Health
Your kidneys are responsible for cleaning your blood, filtering out anything that can cause you to become ill. As you have probably guessed by now, the bad bacteria from your mouth is eventually going to end up here via your bloodstream.
Not only is this going to cause your kidneys trouble, but it can also increase the risk of you becoming ill. A cold or fever might not seem like a big deal, but having multiple in quick succession is going to affect you after a time.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons why looking after your teeth is important. Some are mild issues and others are more extreme. It doesn’t take a lot to prevent these problems, so make sure you are taking good care of your teeth.