Healthy Habits: Healthy Smile, Healthy You - 6 Importance tips for Good Oral Health

Apart from ensuring a bright smile and the daily brushing we do not put much thought into oral
health. However oral health is a matter of specific care, especially in the light of new research
that has revealed that oral health reflects the overall condition of the body as a whole and vice-
versa.
A healthy mouth can be said to reflect satisfactory overall health while poor oral health is an
indicator of other health problems. Going a step further, ensuring good oral health has a role in
actually preventing some diseases. There are some specific areas that you may want to focus
on to ensure good oral health and thereby overall health.

Care for your Gums

Gum (periodontal) disease has a connection with health problems such as stroke, heart
disease, and childbirth. It has been found that incidences of premature, low birth-weight babies
are higher in women with gum disease and likewise incidence of oral problems such as swollen
gums, dry mouth, mouth ulcers, and serious gum problems are manifestations of organ-level or
systemic diseases in more than 90% of cases.
Health complications such as Diabetes, Leukemia, Oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, Heart
disease, and kidney disease have an oral manifestation.

Problems of Poor oral health

Poor oral health arising from improper care of your teeth and gums can lead to other health
problems. These include oral and facial pain, heart and other major organs and problems
related to digestion. Oral and facial pain could occur due to infection of the gums resulting in
tooth loss.
One of the serious gum diseases is Gingivitis that more than 75% of the U.S. population suffers
from. There is a connection between oral health and other health problems related to heart,
irritable-bowel syndrome, intestinal failure, and other digestive disorders.

Visiting a Dentist

A dentist can surely help maintain good oral health and look for pointers and developments
regarding other health issues. Issues like poor nutrition and hygiene, growth and development
and faulty jaw alignment can be revealed by a dental examination.

On your part, you should reveal the complete medical history to your dentist, especially about
any recent health events and problems, even if they appear separate from any oral health issue.
The dentist, with appropriate use of IV sedation and Large Safe Sedate-masks, if needed, could
help keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright. The dentist can also advise you about your
overall health and chronic disease possibilities.

Dental Care Starts at Home
Regular dental care practices can ensure good oral hygiene. These include:
• Using a fluoride-based toothpaste to brush teeth twice daily and for a minimum of
• Flossing the unreachable teeth parts and areas daily to remove plaque
• Preventing gum disease by eating a healthy diet with the necessary nutrients necessary,
especially vitamins A and C
• Giving up or avoiding tobacco in the form of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco since they
cause gum disease and oral cancer.

These additional details should clarify any doubts that you may have in this regard.

Avoid Food Harmful to the Teeth
The sugars in the food and drinks could serve as a good breeding ground for the tooth decay-
causing bacteria in the mouth that further cause plaque. Plaque, in turn, produce acids that
corrode the tooth enamel leading to cavities of the tooth while the bacteria affect the gum
tissues in the form of gingivitis, leading further to periodontitis.

Avoiding sugary foods and drinks can help reduce these painful diseases while regular brushing
and flossing prevent tooth and gum problems.

Appropriate Oral Care at Each Life Stage

While the above points relate to tips appropriate for any stage of life, it still helps to follow
specific practices for different phases of life, depending on your ages and stages in life.

While we have talked about tips for good oral health there are some mistakes we need to avoid
too. These include avoiding snacking and eating acidic food at night. Some forgotten dos in this
regard are oil pulling, tongue scraping, and proper flossing techniques.

Apart from these, we can think of tips such as drinking enough water, focusing on nasal
breathing, nutritious food, and regular healthy habits. While these may be quite general in
nature, they are worth repeating here since they have a bearing on oral health and your bright
smile. Therefore good oral health leads to a healthier you.

Author Bio:
Ross is a blogger who loves to write especially in the Health vertical. He has written many
informative Blogs. He has also written blogs in other verticals too like personal development,
unique gifting blogs.