Is your dental appointment a part of your self-care routine?

A dental appointment may not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about self-care. Self-care is crucial to everyone’s mental and physical health. So, whether most people believe it or not, oral health is crucial in your overall health.

• Without teeth, people would be unable to chew food, which can stress out their bodies digestion.
• Bad bacteria that forms in a person’s mouth can infect the bloodstream and travel throughout the entire body. This can potentially cause even more health issues, especially for people who have existing heart or blood conditions.
• A person suffering from acid reflux can face major issues in their teeth structure. The acidity from their stomach acid can eat away at their enamel and wear down the structure of their teeth.
• Various medications and cpap machines can cause dry mouth in people. Any person diagnosed with dry mouth is more prone to cavities due to bacteria sitting on the surfaces of their teeth.
• If a person is anxious, in most cases, the person is more likely to grind their teeth which can cause fractures. Teeth grinding also wears down the enamel and cause sensitivity over time.
• If a person has a joint replacement or heart surgery, there is a risk of bacteria entering the body from any surface and into the bloodstream. This can cause major conflicts in a person’s overall health.

Although going to the dentist may not be a part of people’s self-care routine, making sure there is room for that appointment will benefit their physical and mental state for the better. Oral health overall is very important and the oral health ties into self-care in so many ways. Ensuring you’re healthy is the key to self-care, a bigger, brighter smile is just a plus!

For more information Check out some of the articles by the American Dental Association.