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Health


Looking after your teeth is important. After all, you only get one adult set and they need to last the rest of your life. That’s a long time.

Naturally, looking after your teeth means you are less likely to experience painful or expensive dental issues. But, it can also help to ensure you don’t suffer a loss of confidence. Tooth loss, especially when it is noticeable, can make you feel self-conscious when you smile.

The result is you will stop smiling and avoid social occasions where it may be noticed. This is not good for your mental health. Visiting a reputable dentist Campsie regularly will help to prevent this from being an issue.

More importantly, bad oral hygiene will increase the likelihood of you contracting a variety of illnesses. You may be surprised at how many health issues are connected.

Cardiovascular Disease

There are many blood vessels in and around the mouth, these carry nutrients and oxygen to all the cells and tissues in the area. They also carry toxins away for elimination from your body. However, if you experience a build-up of plaque in your mouth it is possible that this can also get into your blood vessels. When plaque enters your blood vessels it sticks to the walls of the veins and arteries. This narrows the space available for blood to flow. Over time the arteries can narrow sufficiently that blood flow is disrupted. When blood flow to the heart is reduced you can experience a heart attack or another cardiovascular issue.

Strokes

If you have poor oral hygiene then you are at increased risk of strokes. Just as the plaque can enter the bloodstream and block arteries, it can also move toward your brain and cause supply issues. This can result in a stroke as parts of the brain are starved of blood and oxygen. It can also cause dementia if the brain cells are deprived of blood for too long and die.

It should be noted that having plaque in your mouth doesn’t mean it can enter your bloodstream. But, you should have your teeth regularly inspected and cleaned by a specialist.

The most likely way that you’ll experience heart or brain issues from poor oral health is when bacteria get into your bloodstream. They can move anywhere in your body and cause issues, including the heart and the brain.

Bacteria generally get in when you have tooth decay and it is left untreated.

Infection

If you have an infection in a tooth and it is left the infection will get worse and cause an abscess under the tooth. The infection will then spread into the surrounding tissue. This is likely to give you infections and inflammation in your face and neck. These infections can then spread or move across your body, creating an array of health issues.

In short, not taking care of your teeth can affect your overall health, book your dental appointment today.