Did you know that your oral hygiene has a lot to do with your overall health?
I recently listened to a podcast about fitness (go figure!) and the speaker talked about how important oral hygiene is to your WHOLE body. Any infection, bacteria or tooth decay that is not taken care of can cause the acidity levels in the body to get all out of whack and cause your ability to fight illness to be weakened or even make you prone to more illness. This really is a cool fact to know when you are helping others be completely healthy. Just brushing your teeth alone is not enough.
I am pretty serious about my oral hygiene but this made me think even more about it and the importance of it. Here are some facts below that I read and I was blown away to learn this information.
"Studies also suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated
with periodontitis — a severe form of gum disease — might play a role in
some diseases. In addition, certain diseases, such as diabetes and
HIV/AIDS, can lower the body's resistance to infection, making oral
health problems more severe." taken from this article
"Research has found an association between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints." also this article
"Proper oral hygiene is important in helping you stay healthy if you have risk factors such as diabetes and heart problems." According to the American Dental Hygienists Association:
- A major cause of tooth loss in children is cavities; while periodontal (gum) disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
- Eating healthy snacks such as celery, carrots, or apples help clear away food loosely trapped in-between teeth.
- The leading oral health problem for infants is baby bottle tooth decay, which can be caused when babies are given a bottle filled with sugary liquids, like milk or juice, when put to bed.
quoted from this
Below is a picture of the products that I use, including a tongue scraper. You may think that brushing your tongue is enough but it's definitely not. I had never even seen one of these things until my dental hygienist gave me one a few years ago and I am so thankful that she did. This handy little tool really helps to get all those hard to reach spots and be more thorough.
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*There's a proper way to brush and floss. If you're unfamiliar with the correct technique, ask your dentist or dental hygienist for help. You can also visit the American Dental's Association's website to watch some great tutorials on proper technique.*
"The mouth is a portal into the rest of the body," said Dr. Donald Ratcliffe
from this article
