Everyone knows that dental hygiene is important. But why? What does having good oral health have to do with other areas of your life and wellness?

Good Dental Hygiene Is Easier Than Ever

little girl practices dental hygiene with momThere are many reasons that good dental hygiene is important. These reasons include preventing bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease. Healthy practices also help you keep your natural teeth longer, as you age.

Today’s toothpaste, floss, rinses, and brushes are highly advanced compared to those of years gone by. This means today’s dental patients lose fewer teeth in childhood and adult years. More people enjoy having their natural teeth longer. Even when implants, crowns or dentures are necessary, these dental devices don’t cause the irritation or discomfort of older versions of dental restoration.

Scientific research has taught us a great deal about benefits of good oral health. We know now that having healthy teeth and gums means you are also preventing medical problems throughout your body. Gum disease, for example, increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and preterm labor. These are clear examples of why you need to make the connection between dental health and overall health in your life.

Your Oral Health Mirrors and Affects Overall Health

There are many health problems that first show signs in your mouth. This means dentists and doctors often use your oral condition to find signs of diseases affecting other parts of your body. Some of these diseases include AIDS and diabetes. Each of these causes mouth lesions and other problems early in their development.

The Academy of General Dentistry reports that 90% of all diseases affecting your whole body produce signs and symptoms doctors can find in your mouth. This is why there are more saliva-testing kits available for diagnosing diseases today. It’s also why saliva tests may soon replace blood tests for diagnosing and managing major diseases like Parkinson’s, diabetes, AIDS, and cirrhosis.

Having healthy saliva is important for keeping your body’s natural defenses working against bacteria, viruses and disease-causing organisms. Your saliva wages war against harmful pathogens that cause colds, a fungus called oral thrush and even diseases like HIV.

Without a clean, healthy environment in which to do its job, your saliva’s defenses can fail you. There are over 500 types of bacteria in your mouth. These create dental plaque, that sticky white film on your teeth. Plaque hardens into tartar on your teeth, causing tooth decay. Plaque also causes other health problems throughout your body, even leading to heart attack or stroke.

Healthy saliva and a plaque-free mouth are reasons enough to brush and floss as your dentist recommends. If you don’t perform these daily oral health practices, plaque builds up between teeth and on your gumline. Gingivitis is the result, an infection that causes periodontitis. If oral bacteria gets into your bloodstream, it can cause other infections throughout your body, such as the heart disease infective endocarditis.

Benefits of Good Oral Hygiene During Pregnancy

Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to problems of oral infections. In fact, as many as 18% of babies born prematurely or with low birth weight suffer those problems due to the mother’s oral infections. Oral bacteria reach the placenta. This causes fetal growth problems, developmental problems, early labor and preterm birth.

Dental Wellness Is Easy with a Quality Dental Team On Your Side

With the help of your compassionate dentist, Dr. Keith Mahan of Smooth Sailing Dentistry in Orlando, it’s easy to achieve excellent oral health. Dr. Mahan and his team guide you through best oral hygiene practices while also checking, maintaining and monitoring your dental health with each visit. There are many reasons for taking care of your teeth and gums, but overall good health is a big one.

Quality dental care and dental procedures are available for you and your whole family at Smooth Sailing Dentistry. Call Smooth Sailing Dentistry now at 407-841-7241 to schedule a consultation in the Orlando, Florida dental office.