One of the most overlooked aspects of health is the care of the teeth and gums. Many people don’t get the appropriate number of dental checkups, which can lead to a slew of problems. This is because they don’t know how oral health directly correlates to their health in other aspects. These are some facts to know about the importance of regular dental checkups.
What Is the Connection Between Oral Health and Overall Well-Being?
A major reason why it’s crucial to get regular dental checkups is the connection between oral health and your overall health. If you neglect your teeth, it can lead to gingivitis, which is reversible but can progress to periodontitis, a permanent gum disease. This can lead to receding gums as bone in the jaw deteriorates. It can cause teeth to become loose and lead to tooth loss.
How Poor Dental Hygiene Affects Other Parts of the Body
Poor dental hygiene can affect not only your gums and teeth, but it can also impact other parts of the body. When left untreated, bacteria from under your gum line can travel to the bloodstream and cause other problems, including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes. With regular dental checkups, the dentist or hygienist can perform root planing and scaling if you have excess bacteria buildup, which can reduce your risk of developing these conditions.
How Routine Dental Checkups Can Detect Other Health Issues Early
Regular dental checkups can detect other health issues early on; some of these are serious and even life-threatening. The less serious issue is dry mouth, which can cause bad breath and potentially, tooth decay and tooth loss. The more serious issue dental checkups can detect is the presence of oral cancer. When detected in its earliest stages, this type of cancer can be cured with treatment.
Various other health issues can be detected through regular dental checkups. For instance, if the dentist notices symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, they can refer the patient to a specialist for further evaluation and treatment.
How Does Poor Dental Hygiene Affect Mental State?
One of the more surprising aspects of poor dental hygiene is that it has a connection to a person’s mental state and mental health, in general. If one’s dental health is poor, it can negatively affect their quality of life in other ways. For example, someone with poor dental hygiene may have problems eating or speaking, which can cause them to avoid social situations. This can cause a poor mental state and lead to mental health issues like depression.
If a person has poor dental hygiene, it can also signify they have a phobia of seeking dental care or even medical care for other areas of their health. Those with such phobias and other types of phobias can develop generalized anxiety disorder.
Good oral hygiene and regular dental checkups are crucial for healthy teeth and gums as well as your overall health. Make sure to do your research and find a local dental office that accepts your insurance.