Holistic Dentistry: Link between Oral Health and Dental Health

by John Marry SEO Executive

The oral health and condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall health. Find out how dental issues are linked to various diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and can pregnancy complications increase dental problems. Dental health is not about having pleasant breath and brighter teeth. Recent research has found numerous links between oral and overall health. While in various cases, the nature of this link is still unclear, dental experts have yet to conclude if these connections are correlative or casual. What is certain is that your oral health is closely linked with your overall health.

Oral Health and Diabetes

It is a well-known fact that type-2 diabetics have an increased incidence of gum disease or periodontitis and vice versa. Dental specialists found that a patient who had higher levels of periodontal disease had a twofold risk of developing type-2 diabetes compared to people with low levels or no gum diseases. When dental infection or gum disease in patient’s mouth gets bad enough, it may lead to low-grade inflammation throughout their body and increase sugar levels, which may make a patient diabetic.

Oral Health and Heart Disease

Apart from diabetes, research also shows that there is a strong link between poor oral health and cardiovascular conditions. Small amount of bacteria enters patient’s bloodstream while they are chewing and this “bad” bacteria from an infected mouth may lodge itself inside blood vessels, eventually causing perilous blockages. In fact, it is also seen that treatment of gum disease reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis and treat the problem in less than six-months.

Pregnancy Complications and Gum Disease

For a lot of pregnant women, gum infections and various other oral issues stem from the fluctuating hormone levels during pregnancy days. Others neglect their oral care during pregnancy because they have so much going on in their lives. San Diego dental care providers believe that gum disease or inflammation in the mouth usually triggers an increase in a chemical compound named prostaglandin. In fact, it is also seen that pregnant women who develop gum disease between weeks like 21 and 24 are four to seven times more likely to give birth before 37th week, which can lead to low birth weight.

In order to live a healthy and happy life, it is extremely important for all of us to take good care of our overall health. Dentist in San Diego use holistic approach to treat gum diseases, which means that they look for the real cause of the issue and look for a cure accordingly.

See the listing at Alpha Dental in San Diego