By now, we’re sure you’ve heard that your dental health is important. But it’s still a surprise when you hear about the surprising, sometimes scary ways in which oral health can affect your overall health. It’s common for people to put off dental care until the pain becomes unbearable. That’s why many health experts recommend a preventative approach. Here are five reasons why you should make sure your teeth are healthy:
- Frequent colds and infections. If plaque builds up on your teeth, it can cause inflammation in your gums and bacteria can enter the bloodstream from there, leading to frequent infections throughout the body, including colds and flu. These infections can also spread to other areas of the body through weakened blood vessels
- Nausea and vomiting. When bacteria from decaying teeth passes through the bloodstream, it may cause nausea and vomiting as well as diarrhea. The bacteria also may travel to your liver and irritate it — leading to abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and jaundice.
- Heart disease. Bacteria that gets into the bloodstream can create tiny clots that block arteries throughout the body, including those in the heart. People with gum disease are twice as likely to have a heart attack as those without oral infections.
- Cognitive decline. A study published in JAMDA (Journal of the American Medical Directors Association) found that the more teeth a person loses, the greater their risk of developing dementia or cognitive decline. A possible explanation for this relationship might involve nutrition, exposure to oral bacteria.
- Lower immunity. When you have a toothache, the pain makes it hard to sleep, concentrate or eat, which can lead to fatigue and possibly more serious illnesses.
- Pneumonia Risk. Some studies have shown that gum infections can increase the risk of pneumonia because infected gums break down oral tissue and make it easier for bacteria to enter the lungs.
