Mouth Body ConnectionSince your mouth serves as the entrance to your entire body, it is probably not surprising to learn that the health of your mouth and body are connected. This relationship is known as the mouth-body connection. Our professionals at Willamette Valley Periodontics not only discuss this important interdependence but also put these concepts into practice when addressing your oral health concerns. Our team does this by helping you keep your oral cavity in good health. We also provide feedback on your oral care habits and strive to educate you on the mouth-body connection so that you can take control of your oral health. Another key phase of implementing this concept into your treatment involves accounting for any pre-existing health conditions. Certain conditions can increase your risk of oral healthy developments, which our team proactively addresses by offering focused care. How Does My Oral Health Effect My General Health?Until fairly recently, the mouth-body connection was a widely accepted theory but had not been completely substantiated by supporting research. However, this is no longer the case. According to studies involving several reputable medical and dental organizations, including the Mayo Clinic, oral health has been linked to several chronic conditions. Poor oral health, as you might expect, has been shown to increase your risk of these conditions while patients with good oral health have a lower risk. One such condition is heart disease. Heart disease is the condition that involves your arteries becoming blocked by fatty plaque build-up in your heart. This increased risk occurs in patients that have gum disease. When you have gum disease, some of the bacteria is unavoidably swallowed. Then it enters your bloodstream and combines with certain fats. These fats then accumulate and get stuck on your arterial walls. Decreased blood flow and arterial blockage also increase your risk of suffering a stroke. In addition, gum disease has been shown to lead to worse symptoms for patients with diabetes. Primarily, diabetics with poor oral health tend to have higher average blood sugar levels and experience more difficulty in controlling their sugar levels. This occurs because the bacteria in the mouth that causes gum disease affects insulin sensitivity. More information on how oral health impacts general health can be found here. Can Poor General Health Increase My Risk of Gum Disease?Certain chronic health conditions make it more likely that you will develop gum disease. The condition most closely linked to gum disease is diabetes. In fact, individuals with diabetes are about two times as likely to develop gum disease as non-diabetic patients. Diabetic patients are more susceptible to all forms of infection and disease due to a weakened immune system. If you suffer from diabetes, regular oral exams and professional cleanings are even more important than for patients that do not. The strong connection between gum disease and diabetes serves as a two-way street. Well managed diabetes makes it easier to protect yourself from gum disease and good oral health will help you control your blood sugar. As you can see, the mouth-body connection is an important part of your overall and oral health. If you would like to learn more about this relationship or are ready to schedule your appointment with our team at Willamette Valley Periodontics, you can call us at (971) 261-1926. |