The oral cavity is the entryway to our respiratory and digestive tracts. This increases the importance of good oral hygiene even further.
It’s normal to have some harmless bacteria in the mouth. Additionally, our saliva, due to its antimicrobial properties, is enough to drive away a small number of harmful bacteria present in our oral cavity. However, poor oral hygiene, impaired saliva production, genetic disorders, and hormonal changes can make our mouth a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. These bacteria result in the formation of plaque that spoils our dental health and infects the gums.
If you don’t undergo proper treatment at the right time, you’ll suffer from gingivitis sooner or later. You can also develop a more severe gum infection called periodontal disease or periodontitis.
Consider getting dental implants whenever your teeth show signs of severe infection. Also, don’t forget to consult a dentist if you experience symptoms like mild, moderate, or severe tooth pain, bleeding gums, black spots on your teeth, etc. Doing so is important for your overall well-being. Read on to find out how your oral health affects your body.
Health Disorders Resulting from Poor Oral Health
Endocarditis: Endocarditis is the term used for an infection of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart chambers, and valves. Endocarditis takes place typically when microbes like fungi or bacteria travel to certain areas of the heart from other body parts including the mouth.
Cardiovascular Diseases: These are diseases involving the blood vessels and/or the heart. Cardiovascular diseases are extremely common among individuals suffering from gum infections like periodontitis.
Birth Complications: Pregnant women often develop gum infections due to hormonal changes taking place within their bodies. If you are experiencing something similar when pregnant, consult your doctor right away. If you don’t get the right treatment for the infection, you might experience several tissue-destructing events. Such events impair blood circulation and often result in miscarriage and premature birth.
Pneumonia: Several studies have shown that gum infection-induced oral pathogens can increase one’s risk of having respiratory disorders. And those who are already suffering from a respiratory disease can experience an increase in the intensity of its symptoms due to such oral pathogens.
Impaired Immunity: Too many harmful bacteria in the mouth can result in a serious imbalance in the microbial community of our oral cavity. This change might end up weakening our immune system.
Complications of the Oral Cavity
If you don’t have a healthy oral cavity, you might start losing your natural teeth. This might force you to stay away from several nutrient-rich food items just because you don’t have teeth to chew them. If this continues to happen, you will eventually develop malnutrition and a series of resulting illnesses.
Depression is another consequence of poor oral health. A lost tooth, oral odour, etc. stops people from socializing. Some of them even stop smiling to avoid embarrassment.
Final Words
If you don’t want your oral health to affect your overall well-being, visit an experienced dentist at least once every year. Following the advice of a dentist will help you to prevent gum diseases and cavity formation.
