The Link Between Oral Health and Overall Well-being: Why Dental Care Matters Beyond Your Smile

Life can get in the way, or you might be struggling to find a dentist in your local area that is accepting patients. Whatever your reasons for missing regular checkups, you could be risking your wider health by not attending regular dentist appointments.

Your oral health is linked to your wider health in unexpected ways. In this guide, we’re exploring some of these links and looking at how oral health can be an important indicator for wider health.

Oral health and wider health: what is the link?

Your oral health is linked to your wider health in a number of ways. First, oral health can be a key indicator for more widespread issues. There are also oral health issues that can become more severe health issues if they are not caught early. So when you go for a routine dental health check, your dentist is really checking for more than just the presence of gum disease or tooth decay.

Gum health and heart health

Gum disease impacts more than just your teeth. If left to progress, gum disease can weaken the structures that hold your teeth in place, leading to tooth loss. The bacteria that builds up in your mouth can also spread through your body, causing inflammation in the heart and in the blood vessels that feed the heart. This increases your risk of deadly conditions such as heart disease and heart attack.

Oral health and digestive health

Another unexpected way in which your oral health impacts your wider health can be found in the digestive system. Oral health problems can influence your dietary choices and how well you chew your food. Your mouth is the start of the digestive tract, so if you struggle to chew your food because of unhealthy teeth, you might find that you have to limit your food choices.

This works both ways, and an unusual amount of dental decay could indicate issues with your digestive tract or your gut biome. Conditions like acid reflux could lead to tooth decay and enamel erosion, so by visiting your dentist for a checkup you could identify these issues much sooner.

Diabetes and oral health

Conditions like diabetes can aggravate certain oral health conditions. Regularly visiting the dentist will be essential to maintaining your oral health, just as you need to commit to regular doctor visits. Gum disease is often more prevalent and more serious in those with diabetes.

Gum disease can also be a key indicator that you are struggling to control your blood sugar levels. By visiting the dentist regularly, you may be able to identify and get on top of these issues much sooner.

Oral cancer screening

An often overlooked part of the dental checkup is oral cancer screening. The vast majority of oral cancers are survivable if they are caught early, and your dentist is your first line of defence in identifying and catching oral cancer. This can help to prevent the spread to other parts of the body.

Oral health and pregnancy

During pregnancy, the surges in hormone levels can cause issues with your oral health. Attending a checkup during the first or second trimester can help to avoid oral health complications including gum disease linked to gestational diabetes. Gum disease in pregnant women has been linked to low birth weights and premature labour.

Oral health and the elderly

Certain health conditions linked to ageing can also make oral health conditions worse. The elderly are at higher risk of respiratory conditions such as pneumonia if they have poor oral health. Like most of these links, the connection goes both ways. Degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s can have a negative impact on oral health. By ensuring elderly patients are able to visit the dentist regularly, you could help to safeguard against many of the health concerns linked to poor oral health.

Final thoughts on oral health for wider health

Taking care of your oral health is about more than just maintaining a health-looking smile. Your mouth is the start of your digestive tract and your respiratory tract. And how well you take care of your teeth can have a direct impact on the health of your heart. There are also special considerations for the pregnant, the elderly, and those living with certain health conditions.

In short, your oral health is not something that should be treated in isolation. It can have a widespread impact on your wider health, which is why it is vital to attend regular checkups. If you’re not currently registered with a dentist, get in touch with our team today to learn more about how we can help to protect your oral health and your wider health.