Your mouth is the entry point to your body. Therefore, it is vital when it comes to your overall health and wellbeing. A person with a healthy mouth can eat, drink and socialise normally without pain or social stigma. Bad oral health can have negative impacts on so many parts of life. Not only physical but psychosocial too. If you take care of your oral health, then your overall well being should also improve.
At Boon Dental, we have helped many patients achieve and maintain their best oral health possible. In this article, we discuss why oral health is important to your overall wellbeing.
What is Good Oral Health?
Good oral health starts by brushing, flossing and seeing a dentist, regularly. So, it’s essential to get your kids into the habit of doing these things as early as possible. Many of the issues that arise from poor oral hygiene could have been prevented with simple daily steps like brushing.
A normal mouth is full of bacteria, mostly harmless. However, sometimes these bacteria can enter the body and cause problems. With regular care, like maintaining clean teeth, you will be able to keep this under control. If these bacteria are not kept under control they can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Good dental hygiene habits go a long way in helping you keep your teeth and gums in check.
It is also essential to see a dentist for regular check-ups. A dentist can see things you cannot and knows the correct treatment. This will ensure your mouth remains healthy. A visit to the dentist is always good for being reminded about why oral health is so important. At Boon Dental, we try to educate our patients on good dental health as much as we can when they come in for a visit.
Physical Conditions linked to Poor Oral Health
Having an unhealthy mouth can lead to many medical conditions. It can cause discomfort and extreme pain, and as a result, it may limit your consumption of food. This means your body might not be getting the proper nutrients it requires to remain healthy. This pain may also disrupt your sleep and productivity. This may have negative effects on your general wellbeing. It could also exacerbate existing health issues.
Tooth decay and tooth loss are major physical problems that directly result from an unhealthy mouth.
Poor oral health has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, lung conditions, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. So, it’s plain to see why oral health is important to your overall wellbeing.
The Social Impacts of Poor Oral Health
There are many psychological issues linked to an unhealthy mouth. Dental disease can impact your quality of life, mental health, and social wellbeing. The way we look and talk directly impacts how we socialise. If someone is feeling self-conscious about the state of their mouth, they may be disinclined to socialise. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. These feelings are associated with depression and anxiety which can have a significant impact on your general wellbeing. It can even lead to problems with education, employment and social relationships.
How to Maintain Good Oral Health
Although the consequences of poor oral health seem immense and scary, it is something that can be easily avoided. Here are a few simple steps you can take to protect yourself;
- Brush your teeth every morning and night with a soft brush
- Use a fluoride-based toothpaste
- Floss every day
- Use a mouthwash
- Replace your toothbrush regularly – we recommend once every few months.
- Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle (avoid sugary food and drink).
- Keep up regular dental check-ups
- Avoid smoking.
Wrapping Up
We hope this article has shed some light on why oral health is important to your overall health and quality of life. Poor oral health is the starting point for so many issues that arise in the human body. These issues can be both physical and psychological. There are many simple steps you can take to maintain good oral health. These include daily teeth brushing and flossing. And last but not least, it is extremely important to see your dentist regularly for check-ups and professional cleaning!
At Boon Dental, we can help you with this. We have practices in both Ropes Point and Wentworth Crossing where our experienced and gentle dentists will be happy to see you. Please do not hesitate to give us a call to make an appointment. We will be able to answer any other questions you have about dental health and help get you on track to having a healthy mouth in no time!