World Oral Health Day 20th March 2016

How your oral health can affect your whole body

World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated every year on 20 March. It is an international day to celebrate the benefits of a healthy mouth and to promote worldwide awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene for looking after everyone old and young.

WOHD 2016 aims to get everyone to recognise the impact their oral health has on overall physical health and wellbeing. Good oral health provides a gateway to your physical health, making mouthcare and regular dental check-ups essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Your mouth is a hot bed for bacteria meaning that it’s crucial to make sure you have a regular brushing and flossing routine to avoid the risk of developing gum diseases such as periodontal disease or gingivitis; both of which can lead to loss of teeth if not tackled with the correct care or attention. It should also be noted that some diseases and conditions that affect the body elsewhere may also have a knock-on effect from your oral health.

It is important to remember that the bacteria that can grow and cause problems orally can also cause problems elsewhere. It has been noted that there is a strong link between periodontal disease and diabetes, due to inflammation in the mouth causing potential difficulty for the body’s insulin levels – meaning that those suffering from diabetes already must always keep a close eye on their oral health.

WOHD 2016 aims to get everyone to recognise the impact their oral health has on overall physical health and wellbeing.

There are known links with oral health and heart disease; some professional opinions state that inflammations in the mouth could have a knock-on effect with inflammation in blood vessels and periodontal disease and heart disease can often be caused by similar lifestyle factors, such as smoking and poor diet (leading to obesity). There have even been links between oral inflammation and pregnancy in the past; with research currently being undertaken to look into how foetal development can be affected by oral disease and other inflammations, as it has been suggested previously that inflammation of the mouth present in a pregnant mother could be linked to premature birth and low birth weight babies/still born babies.

It is important to remember that gum disease and tooth decay are a prime indicator that part of your lifestyle or dietary intake is negatively affecting you and that anything likely to be damaging your mouth to such an extent will most likely be having a detrimental effect for the rest of your body.

It’s important to brush, floss and arrange check-ups with your dentist regularly so that you can not only maintain the best possible health for your teeth and mouth, but also for your smile and sense of wellbeing. For more information on why oral health matters, keep a close eye on World Oral Health Day on March 20th 2016 – for advice, case studies, ideas on how to change your lifestyle for the better and more! If you did not

If you would like to discuss any aspect of your oral health please get in touch with us at the Smile Concepts practice to make an appointment.

Additional information

• New Year’s dental health resolutions, SmileConcepts Dentistry Blog, January 2016.
• World Oral Health Day, resources, March 2016.