Friday 24 February 2017

How Dental Hygiene Makes You Healthier

Many people think of the mouth as a completely separate area of the body. However, the teeth and health of the mouth influence so many different aspects of health, that it is impossible to separate it from the rest of your body. Making the mouth an important focus of overall health practices will have a positive impact on your overall wellbeing. Dental hygiene comes in three different categories and each is just as important as the others.
1. Daily Cleaning
If you don't know that brushing and flossing your teeth every day is essential to the health of your teeth, you might live under a rock. It is recommended that you brush and floss every morning and night, if not after every meal. This helps remove bacteria in your mouth and around your teeth. The floss helps target areas between your teeth where the brush doesn't reach. If you want to go the extra mile, add a great mouth rinse to your routine to make sure more bacteria is removed from your mouth. Less bacteria means less cavities and dental work in the future.
2. Professional Cleanings
Professional teeth cleanings are recommended every six months. During these visits, the hygienist will clean your teeth with special tools. The most important step of the cleaning is scraping off plaque and tartar. Plaque is a sticky yellow substance that gathers along the gum line and edges of teeth. It attracts bacteria and holds it close to the tooth, leading to cavities and sensitivity. If plaque is left for too long, it hardens and turns into tartar, which negatively impacts the gums even more.
Once gums are irritated, it leads to different types and stages of periodontal disease. The most common type of disease in the gums is gingivitis. The gums swell, bleed easily, and become very sensitive. Periodontal disease and inflamed gums have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other inflammatory conditions.
3. Get Work Done
The most common reason people avoid the dental chair is because they don't want to get dental work done when problems are found. Instead of ignoring cavities and root canals, get them fixed. The sooner you get a cavity fixed, the better. These are problems that the body does not fix by itself and get worse when ignored. This affects your overall wellbeing because the risk for infection increases. Abscess teeth, gum disease, and bone infections are just some of the problems that you will face if you don't get work done. If those aren't enough, realize that sore teeth make eating harder. This essential task helps bring nourishment to every bit of your body and correlates to the health of your teeth.
A Beautiful Mouth
The three reasons listed above are all great motivators to keeping your mouth healthier. A bonus to keeping your mouth healthy and cared for is that your smile is more beautiful. Instead of greeting someone with a mouth of rotten, decaying teeth, you can feel confident showing your smile. Take good care of your mouth and your mouth will take good care of you.