Have you ever heard that your oral health can be connected to your overall health? Well, it’s true, according to studies and research. This means maintaining a healthy mouth can help you have a healthy body. In fact, unhealthy teeth and gums are often found as a symptom of a myriad of health issues, including:
-Diabetes: People with diabetes are more likely to suffer from swollen, red, or infected gums, which are all symptoms of gum disease. Researchers think this might be the case because diabetes can reduce your body’s ability to fight infection.
-Heart disease: People with moderate to advanced gum disease have an increased chance of having heart disease and stroke.
-Kidney disease: Chronic bad breath and dry mouth are common signs of kidney disease. If your kidneys don’t function properly, the by-products of incomplete protein breakdown are released and cause an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
-Anxiety: Anxiety can harm your smile and oral health more than you might realize. Anxiety can affect your immune system, which means the bacteria in your mouth have a better chance of creating gum disease. Anxiety can also cause bruxism. This involves grinding your teeth on a regular basis, oftentimes causing chipped and fractured teeth.
As you can see, it’s important to take good care of your smile and oral health as much as possible. You can do so by keeping up on oral hygiene and visiting your dentist every six months. If you have any questions or if you would like to learn more about your oral health in Raleigh, North Carolina, please feel free to call Midtown Dental at 919-847-8074 at your earliest convenience. Dr. Seth Rumley and our dental team will be more than happy to help you!