As a youth, your dentist and parents probably emphasized how important it is for you to brush and floss to maintain healthy gums. But as you age, maintaining good dental hygiene becomes increasingly essential. Not only does it encourage healthy teeth and gums, but it also prevents severe inflammation from developing within your body.
Below are three significant reasons you should focus on improving gum health.
Healthy Gums Keeps Your Smile Beautiful
With so many dental products on the market today, it may be hard to believe that there was once a time when brushing your teeth wasn’t a part of the American routine. It wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that a marketer named Claude C. Hopkins, created an ad to change American dental hygiene habits.
This highly successful ad campaign changed our attitude toward tooth brushing and catapulted toothpaste to a much more important place among our personal hygiene products. Reasonably so. Regular brushing along with regular dental cleaning help ensure healthy gums so that you can maintain a beautiful smile.
Failing to brush regularly or keep consistent dental checkups can lead to tartar build-up, cavities, and even gum disease. Not only this, but you are also at a higher risk for having harmful bacteria grow in your mouth, which can lead to tooth loss and could result in painful toothaches or mouth infections.
Harmful bacteria can also travel into other areas of your body, causing inflammation.
Bad Teeth May Affect Your Lung Health
It may be hard to fathom how teeth and lungs are related. However, they are much more interconnected than you think. The bacteria that develops in your mouth can travel to your lungs and cause a host of respiratory problems. Bacteria itself that flourish in your mouth isn’t necessarily bad, as there are nearly 700 various types that thrive in the mouth.
Unfortunately, it’s the build-up of bad bacteria from not brushing and flossing your teeth enough that leads to gum disease and can eventually start to affect your breathing. Gum disease exacerbates respiratory illnesses such as COPD, asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, and other more critical respiratory diseases.
Your Baby’s Health May Depend on Your Healthy Gums
Pregnant women may wonder why doctors emphasize the need to keep healthy teeth and gums while pregnant. Here’s a hint: it’s not because they think you should get your teeth looking suitable for all the photos you will take with your newborn. Although having beautiful pearly whites for pictures is something your dentist may encourage, they don’t tell pregnant women to maintain healthy gums for this reason.
Instead, it is important to maintain routine cleanings during your pregnancy because you will experience hormonal changes that can put you at risk for gingivitis. This is a condition where your gums are vulnerable to bleeding and sensitivity and can lead to periodontal disease.
Another reason it is critical to get regular cleanings when you are pregnant is because periodontal disease may affect the developing fetus inside you. Some studies show that there may be a link between gum disease and premature birth. Although there hasn’t been a conclusive link, it is still a good idea for pregnant women to get dental work done.
Pregnant women should disclose that they are pregnant so that dentists can do everything to minimize the baby’s exposure to radiation during x-rays. For example, dentists typically use a lead vest or apron to minimize you and the baby’s exposure.
Regular Dental Check Ups Help
Don’t let bad gums start to ruin your health. Our experts know the importance of dental care and help you achieve optimal dental hygiene.
Call our Walled Lake dental office today for a FREE dental consultation so that you can start to maintain healthier gums and teeth. Dr. Hechtman and his staff are committed to a customized approach to general dentistry, restorative dentistry, and cosmetic dentistry, addressing dental health needs of the entire family including children’s dentistry. His 40+ years of experience provides the best dental care throughout the area with the latest technology and treatments in dentistry.