Everyone knows that caring for dental health should be a top priority for things like a bright smile, fresh breath, and strong, healthy teeth and gums. But at our offices, we also get a lot of questions asking if poor dental health has anything to do with the overall general health of our patients.

In a word – yes.

Maintenance of good dental health should be a part of your everyday schedule, as much as you would care for any other aspect of your general health. Caring for your teeth and dental health should be a top priority as evidence suggests that poor dental health affects aspects of general health in a few of the following ways:

1. Poor dental health might cause heart diseases through the inflammatory processes, according to Andrew Weil, M.D.

2. Nutrition, as we know, holds the key to good general health in many ways. If you lacked strong, healthy teeth, you would not be able to eat certain foods properly. This could ultimately lead to nutritional deficiencies.

3. Lack of good dental health can lower your immunity to diseases. Poor oral health has been shown to bring down your natural defenses. Low-grade oral cavity infections due to malignant bacteria and virus can foster other systemic diseases. According to a paper published by the American Society For Microbiology called “Systemic Diseases Caused By Oral Infection,” oral infections like Periodontitis may lead to even more systemic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, low-birth-weight, bacterial pneumonia and diabetes mellitus.This happens because oral microorganisms are disseminated into the blood stream and can reach the heart, lungs and other parts of the body.

4. A study conducted by lead author Dominique Michaud, assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Professional Health, along with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, concludes that there is strong evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

5. Research indicates that a few women suffering from breast cancer were also reported to have cavities in their teeth.

6. It is rather interesting to note that gum-diseases, for instance, show incidences leading to preterm, low-weight and under nourished babies.

6. Also, diabetic patients who have poor dental health have been reported to show very low-sugar levels.

Conclusively we can see that strong dental health in general is vital for your overall health. Your teeth are a part of the body and they need to be tended to.  Poor oral health can have serious implications for your general health and should be avoided.

Best Dental Health Practices from 212Smiling.com

• Brush your teeth after meals.
• Floss daily.
• Use an anti-bacterial mouthwash.
• Cut down on sweets.
• Visit your dentist regularly.

We are available in our dental clinics in NYC anytime during business hours and look forward to seeing your smile.