We are living in a society with different medical professionals to cater to the diverse needs of patients. Every other field has its place in society, and none has more minor impacts than the other. They are all essential to us, but some never realize how necessary dentists are for oral health and overall body health.

Often there are times when patients find themselves canceling appointments or not even attending to one at all. That might communicate a different message because ‘how does poor dental health affect overall health?’ is a question that has never crossed their minds. But in this post, we will appreciate the noble role that dentists play in lives by talking about their importance. Here are some important aspects of dentistry in our dental health.

Prevent Oral Complications

Poor oral health can lead to several diseases, among them being gum disease. It can be less problematic in the initial stages but accumulate several more problems if untreated. Such a disease can cause loss of teeth, infections, and other related problems.

Not only will poor oral health lead to dental problems alone but also cause other health problems like heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and breathing-related problems.

How Does Poor Dental Health Affect Overall Health?

• When bacteria from gum disease get into the bloodstream, they can also cause a condition known as dementia. This is a condition where bacteria gets into your brain through the nerve channels or bloodstream, causing dementia.
• When problems develop and thicken in the inner walls of arteries, your blood flow is significantly decreased throughout the body, leading to more severe problems of getting a heart attack or stroke.
• Besides, poor health care causes further spread of bacteria from the oral cavity to the bloodstream. The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream can cause a life-threatening condition of your heart valves known as infective endocarditis. Dentists advise you to take anti-bacteria as one way of preventing measures before they can take any action to dislodge bacteria from your mouth.

Prevent and Detect Early-Stage Oral Cancer

Although there are not specified programs for the screening for oral dental cavity and oral cancers, one can discover some of these precancerous conditions while going to regular dental clinics.

Some dentists recommend that people should look at their mouth in a mirror at least once a month. This way, you can detect any changes in your mouth, like white patches, if you use tobacco or alcohol. Tobacco and alcohol, among other substance abuse, have been attributed to cancer problems.

Maintaining regular dental clinic visits that can include examining the whole mouth can be a practical step towards discovering oral cancer early enough. Apart from mouth and throat examination, a dentist can also use special dyes or light to examine abnormal areas, especially if you have signs and symptoms of oral cancer. If there is any sign of a strange thing, a test might be done to ascertain if it might cause cancer.

Some of the tests that can be done include:

• Toluidine Blue: It is a dye spread over the suspected area and turns darker blue than the area around it in case of anything.
• Fluorescent Light: When fluorescent light is reflected on the suspected area, it will differ from the light reflected in the usual areas.
• Exfoliative Cytology: This is scrubbing off the suspected area using a stiff brush. Cells from the scrubbed area are taken to the laboratory to check for any possible presence of oral cancer cells.

Prevent Dry Mouth or Bad Breath

Dentistry is essential for your oral health because it prevents and counters dry mouth and bad mouth. These are caused mainly by the kind of food one eats and other lifestyles termed as unhealthy. But dry mouth and bad breath are preventable and treatable at home with the help of a dentist.

Breakdown of the food begins in the mouth, absorbs the bloodstream, and then moves to the lungs, affecting your breath. Not even brushing can deal with the odor until the food has passed throughout your body.

Also, dieters who don’t eat often can suffer from this condition. When your body is burning fats, it produces a chemical known to cause bad breath and an unpleasant smell.

Poor dental oral care that includes failure to visit the dental clinic is associated with the most common dental problems. How does poor dental health affect overall health? When you eat and fail to brush, the food particles remaining in your mount can promote a conducive environment for bacteria to bleed. This is the beginning of bad breath due to poor dental hygiene, causing bad breath and a dry mouth.

It is possible to counter the odor caused by the kind of food you eat by practicing oral hygiene, visiting the dental clinic regularly, avoiding tobacco and smoking, drinking water, consuming fruits and vegetables, and keeping a log of the food you eat.

Detects Dental Cavities Early

How does poor dental health affect overall health? According to the dentist, many dental cavities are not painful in the initial stages, especially with tooth decay, as referred to by the dentist. That is why it is recommendable to visit the dental clinic regularly for checkups and cleanings. Dentists and other dental specialists are trained to detect dental cavities in their early stages and places that a patient would find hard to detect.

With the early stages of the cavity, it is pretty impossible to see even for a specialist with a trained eye. This is because when the cavity starts, it is usually a dot on the outer layer of your tooth. So dentists use advanced technology to make it easier to identify the spot. If the cavity is too young, the dentist uses laser lights to illuminate the tooth. This is a low-powered dental laser that will not cause any discomfort.

When the dentist shines the light on your teeth, it will differently illuminate if there is any damaged part on your enamel. The laser light technology revolves around measuring the fluorescence of your tooth- how much light it can reflect or absorb. With the laser tool moved along the grooves of your teeth, there is a computer program creating a read-out to let the dentist know when there is a change in fluorescence indicating the presence of decay. After that, the dentist can take a closer look at the area in question and recommend the proper treatment, including root canal treatment.

Check Your Fillings

Visiting your dental clinic should automatically come even when you don’t have teeth fillings. It is crucial because problems with the fillings can be detected early enough and allow further actions.

By maintaining regular visits, you are assured of a complete dental examination that may include several things, including checking the status of the tooth, checking for restoration and oral mucosa of the tongue, and the whole mouth. There are dental problems that don’t hurt until it is late. Such problems can be extensive, expensive to treat, and sometimes impossible if it is too late.

The patient may not tell if the filling is worn, but the dentist can identify the weakness in your dental during the regular visit. Dentists use an explorer instrument to detect any worn spots around the filled tooth gently. They can go ahead to find the dental decay under the filling or in between the teeth by looking at it. The importance of maintaining regular visits is to allow evaluation of the condition of the filling and looking for other irregularities that signal disease and even cancer.

A Dental Visit Can Help Increase Confidence

Visiting cosmetic dentists for a regular checkup can help boost your self-confidence. A survey conducted by IPOS-MORI indicates that over 19 million people’s dental work would boost their self-confidence. How does poor dental health affect overall health? Almost one in every three adults having admirable and attractive teeth would help them overcome embarrassment caused by personal appearance. 46% believed that an attractive smile would improve their appearance.

Dentists help you enhance confidence by installing a dental crown in case of a damaged tooth and start smiling by taking care of your teeth. They also recommend people to observe hygiene behaviors. Ensure you brush your teeth at least twice a day and include inter dental cleaning options recommended by the dentist. Regular brushing and constant drinking of water can eliminate bad odor and boost self-confidence. Visit your dentist and ask for options if you want to whiten your teeth. Ensuring you visit them regularly can help in early decay detection or any dental-related problem.

Avoid Costly Procedures

How does poor dental health affect overall health? Observing your regular preventative measures with your dentist will not only help you prevent tooth decay but also avoid costly procedures and extra time in dental clinics. Apart from the regular teeth maintenance involving brushing, you should brush at least twice a day and floss at least once a day; there are other procedures and tools you need to advance dental care.

Depending on what you do, there are special kinds of toothpaste such as fluoride and rinses meant to help you maintain the health of your teeth. Most of these procedures and tools are found in the dental clinic. That is the reason why you need to visit these clinics for the services and appointments.

Through regular visits and testing using special tools and unique procedures, the dentist detects and discovers diseases and other dental-related problems before they get worse and cost you more. They help in examining and cleaning and prevent minor issues from becoming complicated and costly procedures.

Helps You Create an Oral Treatment Plan

Different people can have different dental conditions that may require different treatment and attendance. They can be detected during a regular visit to the dental clinic. Once the problem is discovered, the treatment process can start and develop a treatment plan with the help of a local dentist.

Patients can do this based on discussions with their dentist to make it easier to remember and follow daily. How does poor dental health affect overall health? For instance, pregnant and diabetes patients may need special instruction and treatment to keep their mouth free of any disease. The whole process helps them understand the additional care or treatment the dentist wants them to take, the commitment they should observe, and how they should work them out into their daily health routine.

Head, Neck, and Lymph Node Checks

Apart from checking your mouth, gum, and tongue for dental-related problems, a dentist can also help by checking your neck, jaw, and lymph nodes found below your jawline. It is important when you suspect that you have swelling, lumps, and other related abnormalities. The presence of any abnormality can be a sign of a severe problem, and you will get an alert from your dentist to either seek further treatment or a professional.

How does poor dental health affect overall health? Swollen lymph nodes are a dental problem that does not necessarily hurt and is not easy to identify, especially for ordinary people. When investigated by a professional, it can signify particular cancer or other diseases that call for immediate treatment. By visiting a dentist, you are likely to have your neck and thyroid glands checked.

Dentists Help You Avoid Bad Habits

Going to a regular dental clinic can mean a lot as far as dental cleaning is concerned. A dentist can check your mouth for any oral damage or disease and give the most likely cause of the problem. How does poor dental health affect overall health? Some of the habits people make are the core cause of some dental problems. Among the habits with adverse effects on your oral health include chewing of ice, nail-biting, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, eating sticky and hard to crack sweets, too hard brushing causing receding gums, drinking coffee and red wine, and evidently smoking. If any of the above-mentioned things affect you, the dentist advises you to change your lifestyle to curb and ensure no further damage.

How Does Poor Dental Health Affect Overall Health?

Like any other part of your body, dental health is equally important and can cause severe effects on your body. Some of the problems caused by poor dental health affect other parts of the body through the bloodstream. That’s why you need a dentist. Dentists are essential professionals in the overall wellness of our bodies.

They can help you in things such as, prevent oral complications, prevent and detect early-stage oral cancer, treat dry mouth or bad breath, detect dental cavities early, check your fillings, help increase confidence, avoid costly procedures, help you create an oral treatment plan, other checks and keeping off a bad habit.