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Good Oral Hygiene Can Protect Your Overall Health

Scientists have studied the link between oral health and one’s overall health for decades. As technology advances, further research has shown evidence of the correlation between oral health and developing medical conditions that stimulate or even weaken the immune system.

While dentists have direly stressed the crucial link between poor oral health and cardiovascular diseases, diabetic complications, lung conditions, and even dementia for several years, we want everyone to understand the importance of how your oral health can be a window to how well your immune system interacts with the body as a whole.

The Bacteria in Our Mouth

The link between your oral health and overall well-being begins with the bacteria in your mouth.It harbors hundreds of different types of bacteria due to its warm and moist environment. Maintaining good oral hygiene can help get rid of excessive amounts of bacteria.

However, when this bacteria accumulates and cements itself along the gum line, it can cause several issues including:

• Gum disease can develop and trigger your immune system to respond
• Your stimulated immune system may cause inflammation as the natural defenses of the body attempts to get rid of the bacterial infection
• Bleeding gums
• Gum-tissue wounds allowing bacteria to enter the bloodstream

Bacteria in Your Blood and its Potentially Harmful Effects

Once mouth bacteria enters the bloodstream it spreads throughout the body and activates an immune response. Out of the liver, a substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) is released at a constant rate. Normally, a protein released whenever inflammation arises is unharmful at normal levels, the presence of foreign bacteria in the blood causes an excess of CRP to be produced and remain throughout the body, leaving you at risk of developing severe health complications, such as:

CRP & Heart Conditions - high levels of CRP in the blood and increased chances of heart attacks among men and women alike. This can be due to a result of long CRP exposure in the bloodstream causing the arteries to stiffen and clot.

Pre-term Births & Birth Defects – about 70% of women experience some form of gum disease during their pregnancy. This not only affects her immune system but also that of her unborn child. If a pregnant woman deals with a heightened immune response it can activate the baby’s immune system, which is not yet fully developed and not meant to be used at such an early stage. This early stimulation can result in preterm births, low birth weight, and even cerebral palsy or more severe cases.

For more information, call knowledgeable our staff at Willow Creek Family Dentistry at (319) 339-4456 today.