Correlation between oral health and general health

At Smile House your overall general health and wellbeing is paramount to us.  If you take care of your oral health, then your general health is also being looked after. What role does oral health play in your health status?

A healthy mouth enables people to eat, speak and socialize without pain, discomfort ,or embarrassment. The impact of oral disease on people’s everyday lives is subtle and pervasive, influencing eating, sleep work, and social roles.  Dental disease can also lead to destruction of the soft tissues in the moth, leading to lasting disability and, in care cases death. The prevalence and recurrence of these impacts constitutes a silent epidemic within us.

It is essential to protect natural teeth from decay and periodontal disease, and focus on early detection and prevention of these conditions.  Evidence clearly demonstrates that these diseases are not just limited to the mouth, but importantly linked to general health overall.

ORAL HEALTH CAN IMPACT ON GENRAL HEALTH IN THESE WAYS:

  1. Poor oral health is significantly associated with major chronic diseases.
  2. Poor oral health causes disability.
  3. Oral health issues and major diseases together are common risk factors
  4. General health problems may cause or worsen oral health conditions.

Oral inflammation plus risk factors such as stress, being pregnant/ nursing mothers, any form of tobacco use, personal and/or family history of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancers, heart disease, auto immune diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart murmur, gum disease, heavy alcohol consumption and medications that result in dry mouth puts our bodies at risk.

Just as your oral health can affect your general health, the reverse is also true.  Any chronic or acute medical conditions, as well as the use of medications can affect the health of your mouth.

HOW CAN WE HELP RECTIFY THE GENERAL HEALTH/ ORAL HEALTH ISSUES?

Our dentist’s Ali and Siamak at Smile House; objectives are to monitor your oral health and identify risk factors which lead to general health problems.  This helps us to treat the disease and maintain your overall health leading to an improved quality of life.