It can be hard to miss the connection between your daily commitment to oral hygiene and your oral health. After all, you (hopefully) brush and floss on a regular basis with the goal of avoiding problems like tooth decay and gum disease. With that said, there is more that a good oral care routine can do than just protect your teeth. By fighting the buildup of oral bacteria in our mouths, we can actually stay protected against problems that can affect our general health. In fact, you may be surprised at how periodontal health problems in particular might affect your risk for other conditions, including heart disease! If you are worried that you are not doing enough to protect your smile each day, you can ask your Prairie Village, KS dentist for tips during your next routine dental checkup.
Oral Health Issues May Affect Your Risk For Other Problems
When you clean your teeth each day, you remove microbes that have gathered in your mouth. While many types of bacteria in our mouths are harmless, some can create problems for your health. Because our mouths can be access points for different parts of our body, leaving those bacteria unaddressed can certainly be cause for concern. It is also possible for the bacteria that gather beneath your gum line when you have gum disease to travel to different parts of the body, which can lead to alarming consequences.
The Importance Of Maintaining Healthy Gums
Brushing and flossing protect your teeth against cavities, which makes you less likely to develop decay that requires the placement of a dental filling or dental crown. When you perform these tasks effectively, you can make sure that your gum line is being effectively protected, which lowers your risk for developing gingivitis. If gingivitis goes untreated, and the bacteria attacking your periodontal tissues are not addressed, the condition can become difficult to manage. It can also lead to the destruction of the tissues that keep your teeth in place, which can lead to tooth loss. You should know that in addition to these problems, periodontal bacteria that travel to different areas of your body can create new health problems. One example of this is endocarditis – when bacteria that cause inflammation leave your gums and make their way to your heart, this condition can occur and increase your risk for serious heart troubles.
Don’t Let A Problem With Tooth Decay Affect Your Life
If tooth decay forms and is not caught in time, the effects can be serious. If your tooth develops an infection from an untreated cavity, you can develop a fever, experience swelling around your tooth, and struggle with dental pain. The discomfort you experience can impact your quality of life, and even leave you vulnerable to health complications! If you think you have an infected tooth, reach out for treatment as soon as possible.
Your Prairie Village, KS Dentist Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Smile
At our Prairie Village, KS dentist’s office, Dr. Browne can help you protect your smile from potentially serious problems. To find out more about how we can take care of you, call our dental practice at 913-901-8585.
