Did you know that oral health helps understand the overall health of your body? Your oral health is more important than you may realise. Since your mouth is one of the main entry points to your digestive and respiratory tracts, it can significantly maintain your well-being. Usually, the body's natural defence and good oral health care like brushing and flossing help shape a healthy lifestyle.
However, India's health and family welfare ministry state that dental caries affects about 60% and periodontal illness about 85% of the country's population. In fact, India is considered the world capital for oral cancer.
National Oral Health Policy in 2018 claimed that there had been no significant improvement in the status of oral health in India for the past three decades. For instance, different oral conditions such as untreated caries of deciduous teeth or permanent teeth and severe periodontitis are prevalent, affecting 43.2 crore, which is 32% of the population.
Oral health practices are one of the most ignored practices when it comes to the overall well-being of the body. This is not the best thing to do. If anything, a lot can be detected from the condition of a person's gums and teeth. In some cases, it can even save a person from a fatal disease like cancer. Be it a child or an adult; they must adequately care for their oral hygiene.
Indians are primarily affected by dental caries or toothy decay, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. If this isn't reason enough, then the following is reason enough to convince you to pay more attention to your teeth and mouth.
Better Gums, Better Heart.
The state of your gums can be a reason for any cardiovascular disease. Improper gums can make way for external bacteria to enter your body, which might lead to inflammation of your body, especially the heart. So making sure you take care of any gum disease is more important than you think.
Brain Game.
Oral health also has a significant impact on mental well-being and, in some cases, the health of your brain as well. If you have an infected gum and fail to take proper care of it, the bacteria that enter the body through these infections can cause severe problems to your brain. When the bacteria from the infected gum joins the bloodstream, it can cause a blood clot in the brain, eventually leading to cerebral ischemia.
Sweet Tooth.
Multiple studies over the years have stated that poor oral health contributes to diabetes. It is also found that people with diabetes are more prone to oral disease. This implies a two-way connection and is a wake-up call to give more attention to our oral health.
Discipline Matters.
A periodic oral check-up is a great start to avoid oral cancer. Dentists are trained to check for any possible symptoms in your gums, tongue, teeth, cheeks, and lips for anything suspicious. This may not seem like such a big thing as a person may not experience any noticeable pain. A person diagnosed with oral cancer will survive only up to five years on average. Thus, it is essential to keep your oral health in check.
Stay in shape.
Brushing your teeth after dinner gives your brain a false signal that you are done for the day. You can use this to your advantage and stop eating sweets or midnight snacks that can cause cavities or any other teeth-related problems that you may face. By doing so, you can stay away from all the additional calories that you might have consumed otherwise. So it is a great way to keep fit and maintain good oral hygiene resulting in a win-win situation.
Source : Statista
While stating above are the essential benefits of oral hygiene. While adding more to it is the following
- Lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes
- Reduced risk of stroke
- Healthy pregnancy and strong fertility
- Lower risk of oral cancer
- Healthier Lungs
Take it easy policy? No, Never!
Bad oral health can result in tooth decay, which can eventually affect your gums and bone. In such cases, individuals tend to lose their confidence as they smile. So it is essential that you keep your teeth, gums, and overall oral health in great condition to maintain your confidence and that beautiful smile.
With that being said, these are some of the everyday things that people generally fail to address as oral care does not seem so important in the first place. But these small things could lead to bigger problems, if left unattended. So here are some things one should watch out for overall oral health.
These are things that people tend to neglect as they seem to get fine on their own in a day or two. But may actually lead to more significant problems in the future. So it is always better to get things checked as soon as you see any problem.
Tips to maintain effective oral hygiene -
The best and the most effective way to keep your oral health on point is by having a system that works for you. Brush twice a day, floss regularly, change your brush heads every three months, try using a mouthwash that suits you and clean your gums frequently. Visit your dentist every few months and make sure things are looking good. Also, instead of using a manual toothbrush, opt for an electric toothbrush that is effective and elevates your everyday oral regime. Any electric toothbrush that comes with a 2-minute auto-stop feature and a 30 seconds quad interval technology is recommended by dentists worldwide. Eventually, it all boils down to a person's smile, and the best way to keep your smile healthy is by maintaining your oral health.