5 Ways Dental Health Can Improve Your Overall Health

Oral health reflects the psychological, physical, and social factors that are essential to our quality of life. And poor oral health care results in poor overall health. Proper diet and exercise play a significant role in keeping us healthy and happy - and it is a well-known fact that poor dental health affects our overall health negatively. Various issues like dental pain, missing teeth, and other connected oral infections have a significant impact on the way we eat, drink, speak or socialize. We often tend to neglect the bleeding or tender gums that cause severe oral infections.

Bad Dental Health

If oral health deteriorates, it affects overall health. The variety of ailments can vary from minor to primary ones so you have to be careful. A handful of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and endocarditis have a direct link with our oral health. For instance, diabetes reduces the adequate blood flow to the gums, leading to various oral ailments like bleeding gums, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and gum infections. Cardiac Science has proven that oral bacteria cause periodontal diseases (gingivitis), and cardiac diseases. It affects the blood vessels while causing inflammation and small clots, heart attacks and other cardiovascular ailments. HIV-infected individuals experience the sudden deterioration of oral health in the form of painful and long-lasting mouth ulcers, gingivitis, or dental warts. Also, an infective endocarditis - infection of the endocardium, usually with bacteria (commonly, streptococci or staphylococci) or fungi - takes place owing to the bacteria formation leading to plaque formation. It often multiplies and enters the main blood flow. Inner heart lining damage can result in severe endocarditis.

Get a thorough dental check-up to get a clear picture of how your mouth reveals some secrets. Read along to learn the secrets of almost all oral procedures that can improve your dental health. These five steps throw light upon the ways dental health can improve your overall health.

Five Ways To Good Dental Health

1. Clean your pearly whites 

Brush your pearly whites regularly. Brush twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush to keep the dental cavity at bay. It would be good to wait at least half an hour after every meal to brush. Flossing is also essential as it prevents plaque formation. You can buy dental-care products certified under the American Dental Association (ADA). 

2. Check your mouth regularly

You should look for signs relating to gum disease. Visit your dentist if your gums look puffy, shiny, feel sore or turn red. Be attentive while brushing or flossing. If your gums bleed while doing this, or you have continuous bad breath, take it on a serious note. Tingling or numbness, the formation of small lumps and thickening on the bottom or sides of your tongue, can be the signs of malignancy. Do not overlook, but go for a thorough dental check-up. Inattentiveness on these dental issues will affect your overall health.

3. Have a well-balanced and nutritious diet

A balanced and nutritious diet assists in building strong and healthy teeth and gums. You should limit your intake of sweet or sugar-coated foods, carbonated drinks, and other beverages. Get into the habit of comparing the nutritional facts table for drinks while choosing the ones low in sodium, sugar, or saturated fat content. Make water your staple drink as it improves your overall health.

Watch your alcohol consumption and start munching mouth-friendly snacks like nuts, sunflower seeds, cheese, vegetables, and certain non-citric fruits. Also, avoid eating any sweets, as they stick to the teeth and are tough to brush away. Try eating the same while having your meal, as the increased flow of saliva during that time leads to washing away and diluting the sugar content. When you are on the move, carry a travel-size, soft-bristled toothbrush and use it after every consumption of sweets or at least rinse thoroughly with plain water or eat any fibrous or crunchy fruit. Chewing a piece of sugarless gum also improves oral health.

4. Follow regular dental check-ups

Do not wait for a dental emergency such as a dental cavity, sore gums or toothache before you visit the dentist. The best way to prevent and detect dental problems before they get worse is going for regular dental check-ups and professional oral cleanings. Ask your friends, family and neighbors to recommend a proficient dentist near you. You can also check online to find dentists near you. 

5. Quit tobacco

Tobacco affects your mouth and gum health severely. Moreover, usage of smokeless tobacco - snuffing, spitting or holding it inside the mouth – can lead to oral cancer. For overall improvement of dental health, it is advisable to give up tobacco to help avoid harmful health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, premature aging, oral and pharyngeal (throat) cancers, lung and other cancers, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, periodontitis (gum disease) and tooth decay, and mouth sores or lesions that do not heal (leukoplakia). Live a tobacco, smoke, and vape-free life.

Healthy Living

There are multiple reasons behind keeping your teeth and mouth healthy. A healthy mouth improves your overall health and well-being. The above discussed five ways are some of the essential steps which you should practice religiously for maintaining good oral health. Follow the methods and regularly visit your dentist.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Jessica Smith has been writing for a few years now. She loves cooking, traveling and dancing. She wants to be a successful writer as writing is her only passion.   

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.