Oral Affects On Systemic Health
The mouth is the portal of the body. Teeth are unique organs because they are half inside the skin and half outside the skin. Disease in your mouth can exist in ways that do not produce pain, putting you at risk for losing your teeth and surrounding bone and affecting your whole body.
The amount of bacteria in your mouth is extraordinary, especially in the presence of acute dental infection or chronic gum disease. Your body responds to infection not only locally but all throughout the body. Infection and inflammation in the mouth results in the release of inflammation mediators, activation of white blood cells, and other detrimental processes. This can result in fatigue, fever, general malaise, and make your body less able to fight other infection.
Further, there are direct connections between gum disease and increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, infected prosthetic valves and joints, and even in low birth weight infants. Further, habits such as smoking and chewing tobacco can result in oral cancer. This does not hurt and cannot be detected without a comprehensive dental exam in conjugation with a careful review of your medical history. Oral cancer is deadly and must be caught early to prevent death and/or facial deformity with its removal.
