Oral Health's link to Overall Health

Today I had a good'ol visit to the dentist. I never understood why people hate the dentist. Perhaps this is because I've never had to have any major dental work done before, but I've always attributed the dentist visit with positive feelings. Don't you feel great after taking a nice hot shower? That feeling of being all clean and fresh, it's wonderful! Well, going to the dentist is like taking a long and much overdue shower for your teeth. I love the way my mouth feels after a cleaning!

We all know that biannual visit to the dentist is essential to maintain oral health. But did you ever consider linking your oral health to your overall health?

There is definitely a proven link between these two for several reasons. Firstly, in order to eat good wholesome foods, you need healthy teeth to be able to chew. This seems obvious enough. Pain, infections, gum disease, and failure to brush and floss properly can prevent proper breakdown of foods and slow your digestive tract. If food is not broken down enough by the teeth, the result could be partial digestion of food and thus insufficient absorption of nutrients.

Furthermore, there have been several health conditions/concerns linked to poor oral health. Some of these include, cardiovascular disease, premature birth and low birth weight, diabetes, and endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart muscle).

It's important to brush and floss correctly and regularly. Use the softest bristle brush you can find, do not press down hard, and brush in circular motions for a minimum of 2 minutes. Using a power tooth brush can help, but be sure to educate yourself on which one to purchase as they are not all equivalent. For example, the spinbrush that the dorky guy in the picture is using is not the best choice. My dentist recommends Philips Sonicare because the vibration helps get between teeth and under gums. Oops, didn't mean to advertise.

So the next time you brush your teeth, remember your not just taking care of your teeth, your taking care of your overall health!

Image Source: Bakersfield College, Health Leader