Practicing good oral health helps you to maintain a healthy mouth, teeth, and gums. Good oral health also helps to boost your appearance and enhance the quality of your life. Maintaining good oral health helps to prevent bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay. Experts are continually discovering new reasons why oral health is so important. Maintaining good oral health can help you prevent a wide range of medical conditions. Having an unhealthy mouth puts you at risk of other medical conditions like:

• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Preterm labor
• Diabetes

Signs of Many Medical Conditions Manifest in the Mouth

Your mouth acts as an indicator of what is happening in your body. Your mouth plays a significant role in enabling doctors to detect the early signs of other medical conditions. Some medical diseases, like HIV and diabetes, manifest themselves through lesions in the mouth. More than 90% of severe medical conditions manifest signs and symptoms in the mouth. Therefore, maintaining good oral health enhances the early detection and treatment of severe medical conditions. 

Dental Plaque is a Source of Infections and Diseases

If you fail to observe proper oral health, plaque can build up along your gum line and create an environment for bacteria to thrive. This accumulation of bacteria leads to gum infection known as gingivitis. If not addressed, gingivitis might lead to a more advanced gum infection known as periodontitis. The most severe form of gum infection is known as trench mouth.

Poor Oral Health Can Cause Infections in Other Body Parts

It is rare for the bacteria in your mouth to enter the bloodstream. However, if you have gum disease and invasive dental practices, including flossing, you might open a pathway for bacteria to enter your bloodstream. If you have a weak immune system, the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream could lead to infection in another part of the body. 

If you have a strong immune system, your body will fight the bacteria in your bloodstream and prevent infection.  You should not underestimate the importance of proper oral health. 

The best way to maintain proper oral health and prevent the adverse effects of poor oral health is regular dental cleaning. You should brush and floss your teeth regularly. You should also visit your dental health provider regularly. Mountain Town Dental provides reliable dental services for the best oral health.