Oral Health | Burns Dentistry Sun City
Oral Health in Sun City, Arizona
Oral Health – A Crucial Link to the Overall Health and Well Being of Your Body Did you know that your oral health and the overall health of your body and all its functions are connected? Apart from the fact that the oral cavity helps with your daily dietary intake, and even breathing.
There are crucial links between the health of your mouth and your immune system. Scientists are now focusing on spreading awareness about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene, and how failure to do so can have devastating impacts on your general health.
What causes oral health to deteriorate?
You’ve probably heard your dentist repeatedly telling you to brush twice a day and floss regularly. These healthy oral care habits at home aren’t just meant to ward off bad breath or keep your teeth sparkling all the time.
The importance of oral hygiene maintenance is much deeper and much more significant. There are countless bacteria in our mouth – most of them are good, but some of them are harmful. It is, therefore, crucial to maintain a balance between the two, and never let the latter grow in population. The pH of our saliva ranges between 6.2 and 7.6, which is somewhat neutral.
Inadequate cleaning, a diet laden with sugars and carbohydrates and other harmful habits can lower this pH to levels that are acidic, and favorable for harmful bacteria. These disease-causing bacteria thrive in an acidic environment and can potentially reign havoc in the oral cavity. Tooth decay, gingivitis, and oral thrush are only a few manifestations of a serious imbalance in the oral biome.
What is the link between oral health and the immune system?
These harmful bacteria can travel from your mouth all the way to your gut to cause serious systemic conditions or enter your bloodstream through damaged, diseased gums. The latter directly affects the immune system. It automatically sets off a reaction whereby a special protein is released by the liver to combat inflammation. This is the body’s natural, normal response towards infection – but if this protein is constantly released over a long period of time, it can have a negative impact on the immune system.
You may feel reluctant visiting the dental office amid the spread of CoVID-19, but remember that your mouth is a gateway to the rest of your body – not just for food and oxygen, but for harmful bacteria too. It’s important to maintain your regular dental appointments so that your doctor and hygienist can monitor any changes in your oral health, and perform important preventative dentistry, such as oral cancer screenings. Remember, a healthy mouth means a healthy body.
Oral disease is linked to:
- Cardiovascular diseases (Heart Attack and Stroke)
- Endocarditis
- Complications related to Pregnancy & Childbirth
- Pneumonia
- In-utero Cerebral Palsy
COVID-19 Safety Precautions at Burns Dentistry
Rest assured, it’s safe to keep your appointment with your Sun City dentist and be seen in our Sun City and Sun City West dental offices.
At Burns Dentistry, we’re continuing our strict sanitization protocols set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Dental Association, along with taking all necessary precautions to protect our patients and team. In accordance with mandates from our Governor, we require all patients and team members to wear masks at all times, offer curbside check-in, and take temperatures of everyone coming into our office.
