The Importance of Oral Health and General Health

At Sydney Holistic Dental Centre we believe that a person’s oral health is connected to their general health.

Sparkling white teeth and a minty fresh breath doesn’t assure you of a healthy oral cavity. You might not even realize it but ailments felt by the body is actual a stress signal telling you that there is something wrong and it can be traced to an oral affectation.Health professionals these days are considering a person’s mouth as the “window” to a person’s overall physical state. Therefore, any sort of oral problem can affect a person’ breathing, sleeping and eating processes.

Gum disease and tooth decay are two of the widely known regular infections that people all around the globe experience. These infections, if not attended to during their early stages, can lead to chronic inflammation.

Most of the time, when treating neck aches and headaches, the probability of habitual teeth grinding and teeth clenching that usually happens at night, is oftentimes neglected. Just because there are no apparent signs of pain, that doesn’t mean you are free from health problems that went on for years undetected.

The relationship between oral and general health

1. Tension neck aches and headaches

One of the aspects that should be given careful consideration during assessment of head and neck pain, is the fact that teeth grinding or jaw clenching may be the cause of the underlying pain. Exacerbation of neck muscle injury, trauma or strain can also happen through clenching and grinding.

 2. Proper breathing and sleeping

Jaw shape and size greatly affects a person’s upper airway structure. A narrow jaw would also mean a narrow passageway for air and a probable nasal cavity restriction. These factors can greatly cause mouth breathing.

Simple snoring that has the potential to worsen (obstructive sleep apnoea) is also a sign of unhealthy sleeping habits that can cause emotional and physical problems namely obesity, depression, cardiovascular symptoms, lethargy, diabetes and anxiety.

 3. Infections of the mouth

A common undetected problem of the mouth is gum disease. It may not be deemed as a deadly infraction of a disease but the manifestation may lead to numerous conditions like certain kinds of cancers, stroke, cardiovascular disease and even stroke.

Furthermore, if you are suffering from tooth decay, it is best to go to a dentist and have it fixed or removed.

4. Good eating habits

It is said that we are what we eat. That is somehow true. Whatever you put in your mouth will greatly affect your overall health and appearance.

Be smart about what you eat. It is advised that fruits and vegetables should be the bulk of your day’s meal. Moderate amounts of meat must be consumed to prevent the formation and progression of diseases. Processed foods, sugars and starchy carbohydrates must also be avoided.

5. Dental filling toxicity

Mercury is one element that makes up a silver amalgam filling. There is about 50% of mercury in a portion of that filling. What your dentist failed to mention is that gradual tearing of mercury happens over a period of time.

Mercury, for the benefit of those who are not aware of its existence, is a severely toxic substance that has adverse effects on the body’s biochemical processes and can critically endanger the immune system and the nervous system.