Studies indicate that
poor oral health can lead to increased risks when it comes to certain health
conditions, however, it can sometimes be just the opposite with gum disease and tooth decay causing health problems as your mouth is the gateway to the
rest of your body.
Your dentist explains
that there are quite a few health conditions that will put you in the high-risk
category when it comes to gum disease and tooth decay.
Pregnancy
According to the American Dental Association pregnancy, a woman’s hormones will change
causing gums to swell, become red, and even bleed. If you are pregnant, it is
vital that you brush, floss, and eat good healthy foods to avoid gum disease.
Women with gum disease can give birth prematurely or deliver babies who have a
low birth weight. If you are planning a pregnancy, see your dentist who can
take care of any dental issues beforehand. If you are pregnant continue seeing
your dentist, but make sure that he or she is aware of your condition as
certain procedures may not be suitable for women who are expecting.
Diabetes
Although maintaining
low blood sugar is a struggle for some diabetics, so is gum disease as the high
levels of blood sugar can cause mouth infections. If left untreated those
infections could cause serious and even permanent damage to your gums and
jawbone. Severe gum disease, known as periodontal disease, will cause tooth loss
if not taken care of. If you are a diabetic, keep your levels in check and make
sure to schedule an appointment with your dentist if you have mouth pain,
sores, red, or bleeding gums.
Obesity
Your dentist explains that being overweight or
obese can cause dental problems in two ways. Firstly, people who are obese make
poor food choices. Those food choices are usually loaded with sugar. Sugar will
increase the risk of health problems and tooth decay. Secondly, a high body fat
count could be to blame for speeding up the process. Two recent studies have
shown that periodontal disease progresses faster in obese people than people of
average or normal weight.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a
condition that causes fragile bones, including the jawbone. If you have osteoporosis,
your bones will become weaker which could eventually lead to tooth loss.
Research indicates that women could have a higher risk as those with
osteoporosis have a higher rate of gum disease.
Cancer
Cancer on its own
will not cause any oral health issues, however, cancer treatments can. Studies
have shown that over a third of all cancer patients will experience a dental
complication of some kind as a direct result of the treatment. Some common
issues include changes in taste, oral infections, dry mouth, and inflammation.
If you are being treated with chemotherapy or radiation for cancer, it is
important to schedule regular dental appointments to keep your teeth and gums
healthy.
