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How Dental Health Supports Your Health

dental health
Published By Dr. Rachel Hall at 15 November, 2021

Good dental health supports your health, it is said that you can’t have a healthy body without a healthy mouth. Brisbane holistic dentist Dr Rachel Hall explains:

Having healthy teeth, mouth and gums are important for your general health and wellbeing. It means you can eat, drink and speak without pain or discomfort.

But did you know that having good dental health is also important for the rest of your body?

Gum disease for example has been linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, dementia and even types of cancer.

The state of your teeth and gums can say a lot about your health as dental issues can be a sign of underlying health issues from iron and vitamin deficiencies through to serious health issues like leukaemia.

Your Mouth A Door To Your Overall Health

Your mouth contains a lot of bacteria and while most are harmless and actually there to protect you and aid with digestion. But without proper care and a good diet, harmful bacteria can take over.  

Harmful bacteria can be controlled with proper oral care, such as daily brushing, flossing, regular dental visits, using mouthwashes and eating a healthy low-sugar diet.

In the absence of proper dental care, these bacteria grow and threaten your oral health and lead to oral infections, such as gum disease and tooth decay.

But what you may not have realised is that the uncontrolled growth of these harmful oral bacteria can spread to other areas of your body and lead to several chronic health conditions?

And it’s not just bacteria that can impact your dental health

  • Poor saliva flow
  • Teeth clenching/grinding
  • Poor sleep
  • Mouth breathing
  • Stress
  • Toxins and
  • Poor diet

Will all impact on your dental health.

Some medications – such as painkillers, decongestants, diuretics, antihistamines, and antidepressants – reduce saliva production inside the mouth.

Saliva has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties, and it also washes out the food residues and acids produced by the bacteria and helps to keep your mouth clean.

The low production of saliva can affect your oral health and promote the growth of nasty bacteria.

Dental Health and You: Health Issues Linked To Dental Health

Cardiovascular Disease

Several studies have shown that infections and inflammations in your mouth can lead to clogged arteries, heart disease, and stroke.

The bacteria in your mouth can spread through the bloodstream and reach your heart and stick to its walls.

Diabetes

Diabetes affects your oral health and poor oral health can impact or lead to diabetes. Since diabetes can reduce the resistance of your body, it can lead to infections in your mouth and worsen gum disease.

People with diabetes often experience periodontal disease which is an advanced and severe form of gum disease.

People with gum disease find it difficult to control their blood sugar levels which can predispose them to diabetes or make existing diabetes harder to manage. Good oral care means you have better control over blood sugar levels.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis might be linked to tooth loss and periodontal bone loss. The drugs used for treating osteoporosis can affect the jawbones and cause damage to them.

Pregnancy Issues

Some studies link periodontal issues with pregnancy complications such as pre-term birth. The hormonal changes in a pregnant woman can lead to oral infections, and this can only be prevented by good oral hygiene.

These oral infections can complicate the pregnancy and may lead to premature birth. Such infants will also have low birth weight. It means that gum disease can lead to severe health issues for both the mother and the baby.

Alzheimer’s Disease

The bacterium named Porphyromonas gingivalis – associated with chronic gum disease – has been found in the brains of dementia patients.

Bacteria from the mouth enter the bloodstream through daily activities, such as brushing teeth, eating, chewing, and more.

Researchers conclude that the bacteria enter the brain through the bloodstream, and each time they enter the bloodstream, it causes immune system responses. These responses lead to the release of chemicals that kill off neurons – the primary cells of the central nervous system.

This leads to symptoms such as deteriorating memory and confusion.

How To Have Good Dental Health

Dental issues can be prevented by proper dental care and hygiene. Regular dental visits can help you to identify most of the dental issues in advance. It can also help you to take treatment early and avoid both your oral health and overall health getting worse.

To maintain your oral health, you can follow good oral hygiene that includes the following steps:

  • Brush your teeth twice a day with a good brushing technique to ensure that you cover all the areas of your mouth with your toothbrush.
  • Flossing once a day also contributes to your oral health. While brushing removes the residues stuck on the teeth surface, it doesn’t necessarily wash out the plaque and food residues in between your teeth. Flossing removes those residues and plaques and helps you to improve your oral hygiene and health.
  • Use a tongue scraper to remove bacteria and build up from the surface of your tongue.
  • While brushing after every meal is not always possible, you can use a mouthwash to wash out your mouth and ensure oral hygiene. Mouthwash is not a substitute for proper oral hygiene.

Eat to Supplement Your Teeth And Gums

In addition to maintaining oral hygiene, it is also important to supplement the right nutrients for the development of your teeth and gums.

  • Make sure you have a balanced diet to supplement the nutrients for healthier teeth and gums. Your diet should have phosphorous and calcium-rich foods to ensure strong teeth. Vitamin C and zinc helps keep your gums in the best health.
  • Hydrating yourself is important to keep you healthy, and it applies to your oral health as well. You should drink plenty of water after every meal, and it helps you to wash out food residues and reduce the effects of acidic and sticky foods and beverages. Water also promotes saliva production.
  • Controlling the intake of acidic and sugary foods can help you to limit detrimental effects on your oral health. Sugar converts to acid in the mouth and leads to tooth decay. Avoid acidic fruits, coffee, and tea that can erode your enamel.

Holistic Dentist Brisbane For Your Dental Health

Holistic dentistry is a great way to ensure excellent oral health in the long term. It also ensures overall wellness by eliminating the potentially harmful effects of materials and products like fluoride and mercury commonly used in dentistry.

Holistic dentistry encourages people to follow good dental hygiene through steps to care for their teeth and gums. Holistic dentistry understands that the teeth, mouth, jaws, and gums are connected to other body parts.

As a holistic dentist Evolve Dental Kenmore plays a role in the health of your overall body as well as your mouth as we focus on balancing the entire body of our patients rather than only treating specific dental conditions.

And yes we also can take care of cosmetic issues, bite problems, crowded teeth, sleep apnoea and snoring and much much more.

As holistic dentists, we choose minimally invasive treatment procedures and biocompatible materials for treatments, incorporating modern tools and hi-tech techniques to provide the best results for our patients.

Importantly, our patients get individual treatment solutions according to their specific needs while ensuring overall wellbeing.

Holistic dentists often work with dental specialists or other health specialists to provide comprehensive and lasting treatment solutions to their patients.

Holistic dentistry provides you great benefits to your smile and your health.

Holistic dentistry is committed to educating and spreading the message of your dental health being connected to your overall health and vice versa. It’s a positive way of life where you follow a healthy lifestyle and practices to control and prevent dental issues and thus your overall health issues.

Brisbane’s Holistic Dentist – The Best Care For You.

Evolve Dental Healing offers advanced holistic dentistry solutions by combining proven techniques and state-of-the-art tools with our experienced and qualified team.

Your search to find a holistic dentist in Brisbane can end at our office door as we offer a friendly, caring, healing environment where you are our number one focus.

You can call us on 07 3720 1811 or reach out to us online to discuss your dental issues with our holistic dentist.


Recipe For Dental Health

  • Dr. Rachel Hall

    Dr. Rachel Hall

    Rachel is the founder and principal dentist at Evolve Dental Healing with over 30 years experience, practising holistically since 2001. Not your typical dentist, Rachel is a passionate opinion leader, challenging convention to empower people to make better dental and health choices, helping thousands to have healthy natural smiles. A respected writer and presenter on holistic dentistry, health and wellness it is Rachel’s mission to revolutionise the way people look at their dental health.

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