Oral health is crucial to general health and well being at every stage of your life. A healthy mouth provides not only nourishment to the human body, but also enhances social interaction and promotes self-esteem. The mouth serves as a "window" to the rest of the body, providing signals of general health disorders. Bacteria from the oral cavity can cause infections in other parts of the body when the immune system has been compromised by other disease or medical treatments example: infective endocarditis. Systemic conditions and their treatment are also known to have an effect on oral health example: dry mouth due to chronic medications gums infection during pregnancy (hormonal changes).
Oral health is much more important than people might realize. From early in life have regular dental check-ups. This helps you maintain optimal oral health into old age and ensures you live not only longer life but also free of physical pain and emotional sufferings caused by an oral disease. Caring for your teeth is as important as caring for the rest of your body.
There are many ways you can have a healthy mouth and make sure you have set yourself up for a healthy future:
- Adopt good oral hygiene (right brushing technique, flossing, mouth rinsing, tongue cleaning)
- Safeguard your oral health by getting regular dental checkups and correcting all dental problems to avoid major sufferings
- Avoid risk factors (alcohol, mouth piercings, chewing/smoking tobacco, unhealthy diet)
- Add up high fibre and calcium in your diet and avoid sugary foods
- Understand good oral health is more than a smile