Benefits of having an Overall Healthy Mouth in Real Life

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Our teeth play a crucial role in our lives. Not only do they help us to speak distinctly but also help us to properly chew our food, which in turn will help digestion. Moreover, it is because of the teeth that every face has a distinct shape.

Smile – on the other hand – boosts our confidence, which in turn widely influences our careers, relationships and social life.

In order to have a great smile, you must possess a set of great looking and healthy teeth. In fact, your teeth and smile perfectly complement each other and therefore, you don’t have any better option than taking the best possible care of your oral hygiene and dental health. A great oral health can usher in many wonderful, life-changing incidents that make your life more satisfying.

In the following paragraphs, we will explore some tangible benefits of having great dental health.

Keeping the teeth for life

Brush your teeth properly twice a day, stick to a low sugar diet and attend routine dental visits which will reduce the risk of tooth decay (also known as caries) and gum (or periodontal) disease. Both these issues are known to result in tooth loss. Tooth decay and periodontal disease can be completely prevented by sticking to the strategies mentioned above.

Reducing the risk of developing certain health conditions

When a person suffers from periodontal disease, the harmful bacteria in the mouth can easily get into the person’s blood stream. The bacteria then create a protein, which thickens the blood. As a result, the person will begin to suffer from heart disease and will eventually fall in the higher risk bracket for developing heart attacks and strokes. Gum disease patients are also known to suffer from higher chances of developing the chronic health condition of diabetes.

Reducing the chances of cancer and memory loss

When you’ve an overall healthy mouth, you have lesser chances of developing certain types of cancer. A healthy mouth also reduces your chances of developing dementia or memory loss. A research carried out in London on 65,000 post-menopausal women ranging between the age of 54 and 86 shows the following facts:

• Women with a history of periodontal disease have 14% higher chances of developing cancer, affecting the oral, throat, skin, breasts, lung, esophagus and gall bladder.
• On the other hand, women with healthy gums have 70% less chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Giving birth to healthy baby

Pregnant women with great oral health are around three times more likely to give birth to a healthy and normal baby. On the other hand, pregnant women with unhealthy gums have a higher chance of giving birth to premature babies or babies with low birth weight. Thus, nearly 1 out of every 4 pregnant women with gum problems is found to give birth before the completion of the 35^th week.

Maintaining the facial structure intact

A clean mouth keeps the bad breath or the problem of halitosis away. This problem is quite common and is caused due to plaque build-up. It often indicates a developing gum disease.

Stained or discoloured teeth are another common problem found among adults. It is caused mostly from lifestyle factors like smoking and excessive consumption of tea, coffee and red wine. However, this problem does not directly affect the health of the teeth but it certainly makes the person a little self-conscious. Dental cleaning by a professional dental hygienist under the prescription of a dentist once a year is a good way to maintain stain-free teeth as well as plaque and tartar-free mouth.

Please feel free to visit us at www.chatfielddental.co.uk for more information. We are a reputed oral health practice located at Chatfield Road in Battersea and cater to both private and NHS patients.