How is dental health related to general health?

Ans. Dental health is a part of the overall health. Shiny pearly whites, healthy pink gums indicate how well you take care of your body and skin. Your mouth is the first ‘point of contact’ with the food that provides nutrition to your body. If your oral health is not good, it can give rise to and even indicate many problems with your general health. For example:

• Teeth loss can directly affect the health, at it leads to the compromised and deteriorated diet and nutrition.
• The mouth is the entry point of infection in most of the diseases. These infections may spread to other parts of the body.
• Gum disease may increase the risk of infection in blood stream, lead to stroke, diabetes and heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer etc.
• Poor oral health causes bacterial infection in blood stream, which can affect the heart valves and lead to cardiovascular diseases.
• The pattern of tooth loss is connected with the coronary artery diseases.
• Gum diseases are also linked with periodontal problem during pregnancy (called pregnancy periodontitis.)
• Dementia: compromised oral health can affect the brain too.
• If the dental infection is left untreated, it may cause brain abscess (cerebral abscess), which is relatively rare but still a possibility

Because dental problems usually don’t come in notice until the pain starts or  the swelling sets, it is important that you keep up the regular dental check-up. Your dentist can help prevent and treat the problems before it reaches the nerve and damages the soft tissue. Routine oral check-ups can help prevent the life threatening diseases like respiratory, or heart disease, diabetes and cancer.