I spent the good part of this morning in a dentist chair getting drilled, polished and thoroughly entertained. Entertained you ask? Yes – I found a new dentist who is quite friendly and funny and also has the coolest most updated dental technology I have ever seen.
I have been lax in getting my butt to the dentist the past year and as I am reflecting upon how fast the year has gone by, I knew it was time to start addressing my long to do list of medical appointments that I have put off.
A friend recently said that he likens visiting the dentist to bringing your car in for service. You know once they lift the hood or in my case, once I open my mouth, it’s going to be expensive!
I have a few silver fillings which are starting to deteriorate, so those needed to be replaced. And I have a cracked tooth which needed a crown on it pronto. So that was what I was dealing with this morning – good times.
Did you know that poor oral hygiene is a contributor to many systematic diseases?
“There is strong connection between oral diseases and NCDs, namely, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have linked periodontal disease, which is a chronic bacterial infection of the gums, with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Patients with diabetes who have periodontal disease have two chronic conditions, each of which may affect the other. The treatment of periodontal disease contributes positively to blood glucose control. Oral cancer is among the world’s most common cancers and tobacco use and excessive alcohol intake are the two major risk factors associated with the life threatening disease.”
Do dirty teeth cause Alzheimers and other disease?
“A study carried out at the University of Central Lancashire suggests that dirty teeth could be linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A study of brain samples from deceased patients with dementia showed an unusually high level of porphyromonas gingivalis, a bacteria commonly associated with gum disease.”
So, while we are all so busy whitening our teeth and making sure they enhance our beauty, there are more important reasons to ensure you take care of your teeth!
4 responses to “Take Care Of Your Teeth: It’s Important”
Take Care Of Your Teeth: It’s Important http://t.co/R126MSEdjX
My dad has lost half of his teeth over the years because of poor dental hygiene. He now has to wear dentures at the age of forty-five! I suppose getting dentures or other prosthetic teeth could be seen as something for aesthetics, but he cannot eat most foods with out his dentures. They are necessary for him. Weather you go to the dentist to make your teeth healthier, or weather you go to make them more pleasing to look at, it is always important to take good care of your teeth. Thank you for sharing your story!
Wow, I had no idea that dental problems can be linked to things like diabetes, heart disease, and strokes! Our bodies are so strange. My poor husband has to get dentures soon.
I never knew that poor oral hygiene is a contributor to systematic disease. You make some good points of how dental health can affect overall health. I just always thought that your mouth was separate from the rest of your body. Thanks for the heads up!