The Link Between Dental Health and Overall Health

Dental or oral health is essential for your overall health and well-being. Poor oral health can lead to decay, cavities, and gum diseases linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Maintaining healthy gums and teeth is a commitment. The earlier one learns proper oral hygiene habits such as flossing, brushing, and limiting sugar intake, the easier they’ll avoid costly dental procedures and long-term health issues.

The connection between your health problem and how the body responds is straightforward. For example, if your gums are sensitive when you’re flossing your teeth and maybe you notice some blood on your dental floss, it might spell trouble for other parts of your body. These might be your blood sugar level or heart health.

Medical research shows a connection between how healthy your gums and teeth are and your body’s overall health. Chronic inflammation in your mouth, which leads to gum disease, warns of other systematic health issues.

How to Know You Have Gum Disease?

Here are some signs:

• Bad breath
• Gums bleeding when brushing or flossing
• Gums that hurt when you brush your teeth
• If your gums look like, there are pulling away from the teeth

If you notice any symptoms, talk to our dentist at Sedona Dental. Our dentists have expanded their exams beyond your gums and teeth, performing oral cancer screenings and checking your entire mouth during regular checkups. And if you have gum disease, you should let your dentist know whether they can keep an eye on any other issues associated with gum disease.

How to Maintain Good Oral Health

When your gums hurt a few days when flossing, it doesn’t mean that you’re headed to getting chronic inflammation and disease. There are a few preventative steps to help keep your mouth healthy. They include:

Brushing and Flossing are Essential

Everyone is aware that brushing their teeth twice a day is essential for removing bacteria and plaque and cleaning your teeth. However, brushing is only effective when you use the correct technique.

Your dentist near you will advise you to brush using small circular motions, taking care to brush the back, front, and top of every tooth. This process takes only 2-3 minutes. However, when one brushes too hard or uses a hard-bristled toothbrush, they can damage your tooth enamel and gums. The effects may include gum erosion, tooth sensitivity, and permanent damage to the protective enamel on the teeth.

Also, flossing removes bacteria and plaque from between the teeth where the toothbrush cannot reach. It also prevents bad breath by removing food and debris that has become trapped between the teeth.

Eat a Balanced Diet

Diet influences your oral health and the development of the oral cavity. For example, consuming sugar can lead to tooth decay and cavities. Common culprits include desserts and candy, but many processed foods contain added sugar.

Our dentist from Calgary, AB, recommends that you limit your sugar intake to below 10% trusted source of your daily calories. Also, lowering this to five percent reduces the risk of cavities further and other dental problems.

In addition, our dentist has stated that starchy foods like bread, crackers, pasta, and chips can cause tooth decay. These foods remain in your mouth and break down into simple sugars that acid-producing bacteria feed. This acid causes tooth decay.

Instead of eating starchy food, you should eat plenty of vegetables and fiber-rich fruits, and dairy products without added sugar.

See a Dentist for Cleanings and Regular Checkups

Our dentist recommends visiting your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup. Your dentist near you will clean your teeth and remove plaque and hardened tartar during a routine examination.

The dentist checks for visual signs of gum disease, cavities, mouth cancer, and other oral health problems. Our dentist will use dental X-rays to check for holes.

Adolescents and children should see a dentist every six months to prevent cavities. However, if adults practice good dental health every day and have a low risk of oral health, they can visit their dentists less frequently.

You should talk to the dentist about how often you need a checkup. The answer will depend on your age, health history, and overall dental health. For your child, please bring them to children’s dentistry in Calgary, AB, for checkups.