If you’ve believed all your life that your stomach, heart, or other vital organs have nothing at all to do with what’s going on in your mouth, you’ve been living a lie. Numerous scientific research has identified (if not entirely confirmed) direct links between oral hygiene and overall physical health through the years. After speaking to an expert, LiveScience.com senior writer Rachael Rettner writes in her article:
“The mouth is a portal into the rest of the body,” said Dr. Donald Ratcliffe, chairman of the department of dental medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. Growing research shows “there’s a relationship between the bacteria – and the inflammation that bacteria cause in the mouth – [and] a lot of other diseases,” he said.
Below are several reasons why you should visit your local Wilkes Barre dentist more often:
Reduced prevalence of premature birth – A study presented at the 31st annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting in San Francisco and subsequently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology identified a link between a decreased rate of premature births and use of non-alcohol mouthwash in pregnant women. The researchers concluded that subjects who used mouthwash and vigilantly maintained their oral hygiene were 5.6% less likely to deliver prematurely.
Reduced risk of heart disease – Studies also identified a connection between gum and heart disease, with experts claiming that the hardening of arteries in the heart involves the same case of inflammation present in gum diseases such as periodontitis. People with periodontal disease face almost double the risk of suffering from coronary artery disease, according to the American Academy of Periodontology.
Reduced risk of dementia – If you value all your memories, whether good or bad, then you should have an experienced Wilkes Barre, PA dentist take care of your teeth regularly. Researchers from the University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry identified that the bacteria which caused Alzheimer’s in several subjects were identical to those found in the mouth. Another paper from the Journal of the American Dental Association claimed that people who lost more teeth before turning 35 faces an increased risk of becoming afflicted with dementia.
Reduced risk of diabetes – While studying rats in 2007, researchers noted that rodents with periodontal disease were more likely to develop actual diabetes after already being pre-diabetic themselves. People with the same gum disease, on the other hand, are also more likely to develop type-2 diabetes later in life.
So there you have it. All the information mentioned should be more than enough to convince you to visit a nearby dental office such as Back Mountain Dental, especially if it’s been a while since you had your teeth and gums checked.
