5 Ways Poor Oral Hygiene Can Affect Your Health

Although brushing and flossing are effective ways to take care of your teeth, a regular visit to the dentist can save you the trouble of advanced dental complications and health problems. Poor dental care not only causes cavities but can have adverse effects on your health and well-being.

Apart from affecting your teeth and gums, poor oral hygiene can also affect your heart, lungs, memory and blood sugar. Avoid sugary drinks, alcohol, and tobacco, and ensure that you keep your mouth clean especially if you are pregnant or diabetic.

Ways Poor Dental Care Can Affect Your Health

Here are the 5 health effects of poor oral hygiene:

1. Works Against Your Heart Health

Periodontal disease can increase the risk of developing a coronary heart disease and worsen the existing heart conditions. Although the exact causal factor is unknown, the oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream and attaches to the fatty plaque in the blood vessels, which leads to the clot formation. This clot formation in the arteries can also cause a heart attack as the normal blood flow is obstructed due to the thickened arteries. If you have a periodontal disease, you are at a greater risk of heart diseases as compared to people without a periodontal disease. ^{1 2}

However, inflammation due to gum disease can also be the reason for a heart disease. Inflammation causes plaque buildup that causes swelling of the arteries. Periodontal diseases, including periodontitis and gingivitis, is also a risk factor for stroke.³

2. Leaves You Vulnerable To Diabetic Complications

Poor dental care leads to oral infections that can increase the severity of diabetes by increasing blood sugar levels, leading to further diabetic complications. If you have diabetes, you are at a greater risk of periodontal disease. This makes it more important for you to maintain your oral hygiene.⁴ The two factors to blame are thickened arteries and bacteria. The bacteria feed on glucose, which causes bacteria in the mouth to grow, in turn leading to gum diseases.

The two factors to blame are thickened arteries and bacteria. The bacteria feed on glucose, which causes bacteria in the mouth to grow, in turn leading to gum diseases.

3. Puts You At A Higher Risk Of Dementia

Dementia is a condition that shows a group of symptoms caused by a decline of brain’s abilities and functions. It affects memory, mental agility, language, and understanding.⁵ A study found that people whose teeth were removed due to poor dental health were seen to be at a greater risk of dementia. Also, those with fewer teeth had a higher incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.⁶

Not maintaining good oral hygiene can lead to tooth loss, which is linked to cognitive impairment. Furthermore, periodontitis is characterized by inflammation that is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.⁷

4. Makes You Susceptible To Respiratory Infections

Poor dental care causes plaque that releases bacteria or oral pathogens into the saliva. If this is aspirated into the lungs, it leads to bacterial pneumonia.⁸

Salivary enzymes associated with periodontal disease can modify the mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract. This modification causes the respiratory pathogens to stick to the tract and grow, and with breathing, they may enter the lungs thereby causing an infection. Also, enzymes from respiratory pathogens may destroy the salivary film that protects against pathogenic bacteria, increasing your susceptibility to infections. .⁹

5. Increases The Likelihood Of Preterm Births

Gum diseases can lead to preterm births and complications in pregnancy.¹⁰ Bacteria can be transmitted to the unborn child through the blood and amniotic fluid. This can increase the risk of preterm births, infections in the newborn baby, low birth-weight, and premature onset of contractions.¹¹

Poor oral hygiene can also be associated with miscarriage due to the inflammatory response to oral bacterial infection.¹²