How Regular Dental Checkups Can Prevent Major Health Issues
A lot of patients forget that their oral health is linked to their wider health. Your mouth is the start of your digestive tract and the opening to your respiratory system. It makes sense that it would influence your health throughout the rest of your body.
It follows that one of the simplest ways you can safeguard your wider health is by making sure that you prioritise your oral health. Something as simple as committing to regular dental checkups can help to reduce your risk of developing other conditions later in life. It can also help to catch certain conditions early on, before they have a chance to spread.
Here are just some of the ways that regular dental checkups can protect your wider health:
Catch oral cancer early
Your dentist is on the frontline of oral cancer detection. This type of cancer is very survivable when caught early, and it can often be caught during a routine checkup. Your dentist will also screen for tongue and throat cancer during every routine checkup.
This is a lesser known part of the dental checkup procedure, but it is nonetheless vital in ensuring that your health is protected.
Prevent tooth loss
Tooth loss in itself is problematic enough, but it can also lead to more widespread issues as you get older. A single missing tooth that isn’t replaced by a bridge, denture or implant could lead to surrounding teeth shifting out of alignment or becoming loose.
Missing teeth could also have an impact on the foods you are able to enjoy and make it difficult to achieve a healthy and balanced diet. For example, older people with dentures might struggle to eat fruits and vegetables which can lead them towards a carbohydrate-rich diet.
The link between oral health and heart health
Although the plaque that builds up on your teeth is different to the plaque that builds up on your arteries, there is a link between poor oral health and instances of heart disease. You might also suffer from more chest infections due to bacteria buildup on your teeth.
Simply taking care of your teeth and committing to regular dental checkups can help to protect you against this risk.
Avoid social isolation
Poor oral hygiene can lead individuals to retreat and avoid social situations. They might be reluctant to smile or to put themselves out there at work. This could mean that they aren’t living up to their full potential, all because they are reluctant to smile around others.
Tooth loss, tooth decay and gum disease could all lead individuals to want to hide their smiles. These conditions are all very treatable if you can commit to regular dental checkups. This could help to boost your confidence and ensure that you don’t miss out on key life events because of your teeth.
Checkups during pregnancy
Pregnant women might feel that they have enough to worry about, but it is vital to ensure they attend a dental checkup in their first or second trimester. Poor oral health has been linked to low birth weight, gestational diabetes, miscarriage and preeclampsia. Your hormones will have an impact on your oral health, so it is essential that you visit a dentist to ensure this doesn’t have a lasting impact on your health and the health of your unborn child.
Final thoughts on dental checkups
A dental checkup is one of the fastest and easiest ways to protect your oral health. It will usually take no more than 20 minutes to compete and you might not require any further treatment if you are healthy. Book your checkup today to protect your oral health and your wider health.
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