Research has been done that confirms the fact that untreated dental health problems can indeed lead to other, often major, health problems. A quick look through the facts should provide readers with an idea about the subject.
How Can Dental Conditions Affect Other Parts of the Body?
There is a constant presence of bacteria in our mouth and that is to be expected, since it’s both natural and necessary. However, poor dental hygiene and untreated dental health problems, such as gingivitis and periodontitis, boost the bacterial presence in our mouth to grow much beyond what can be considered natural.
Related reading: How A Vegan Diet Affects Dental Health
Once the oral cavity becomes rife with harmful bacteria, the germs will begin to spread and infect other parts of the body from thereon. There is virtually no limit to how infection can spread, but the organs and systems closest to the mouth will be afflicted before others. If you notice the early signs of gingivitis, such as sore, puffy, and bleeding gums, book an appointment with a private dentist from northwickmanordental.co.uk.
Related reading: 4 Ways to Improve Your Oral Hygiene
Throat and Chest Infections
Respiratory infections that affect the throat and the chest can both be caused and aggravated by an untreated dental condition. For example, both laryngitis and pharyngitis can be brought on and aggravated by gum disease, as well as severe plaque formation. On the other hand, there is a causational link between advanced gum disease and the recurrence of pneumonia, especially in aging patients. It should be noted that the link is alarming because there is also a high percentage of death associated with gum disease related complications caused by the pneumococci bacteria.
Related reading: 5 Ways To Detox Your Teeth
Diabetes
The link is generally established the other way around, meaning that diabetics have a hard time preventing periodontitis. However, there are studies that have established a link between the bacteria that causes periodontitis and insulin resistance.
Although it is not exactly a causational link, it has been established that advanced gum disease can worsen the symptoms of diabetes, which in turn, makes it difficult to treat either condition. This can be prevented by treating gingivitis before it turns into fully fledged periodontitis.
Heart Disease
Cardiovascular heath will be affected by untreated and severe oral health conditions and that is indeed an established fact. It may take longer in some cases than others, but it is only a matter of time before the overflowing bacteria manages to breach into the vascular system. Blood should be sterile at all times, so the very fact that oral bacteria is managing to get into the blood stream is a cause for alarm and might even be symptomatic of immunosuppression.
Corelation should not be mistaken as causation, which means that just because you have a dental condition as well as one of the other health conditions mentioned here, this does not mean the former is a result of the latter. Nevertheless, it can be stated with assurance that going to a dentist and taking care of oral health conditions can only help.
