Best Dentist in Wicker Park, IL, Explains The Connection Between Oral Health and Overall Health

We all know the best practices to maintain our dental health: brush, floss, and get regular checkups with our dentist. It’s important to keep a healthy mouth for a bright smile! However, many people don’t know that there is a connection between your dental health and the overall health of the rest of your body. It’s not all just about keeping your teeth white. The best dentist in Wicker Park, IL, explains this below.

How Is Oral Health Connected?

Both your mouth and body are host to bacteria. Most of these bacteria don’t cause problems—however, when you don’t take care of your oral health, bad bacteria will multiply, causing cavities, infection, and gum disease.

Since your mouth is the entry to the rest of your body, these harmful bacteria can easily enter your bloodstream and cause problems affecting your overall health. Various conditions involving the lungs and heart have been observed to be related to poor oral health.

What Health Conditions Are Related?

Some health problems that are related to poor oral hygiene are:

• Pneumonia, due to breathing bacteria into the lungs
• Endocarditis, an infection of the lining of the heart
• Heart disease, while not clearly understood, is linked to poor oral health and the resulting inflammation from bacteria
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Avoiding Risks

If you have diabetes or a compromised immune system, it’s even more critical that you maintain your health and prevent harmful bacteria from entering your body. Your body has less power to fight off infection and you may be more prone to gum disease and other mouth tissue problems. Another condition that may affect your oral health is osteoporosis, which can lead to thinning of the bones and damage tissues that support the teeth.

Take careful steps to keep your oral health in tip-top condition and avoid complications with your overall health!

Contact The Best Dentist in Wicker Park, IL, Today To Learn More!

The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to dentistry, feel free to contact Dente Complete Dentistry, with a convenient dental office in Wicker Park by calling 773.295.0562 or by clicking here.