San Jose Dentist Grant F Shimizu DDS, Inc Articles & Blog

How Oral Health Can Affect Your Overall Health

Your oral health can affect your overall health in numerous ways because problems that begin in your mouth can affect the rest of your body, says San Jose dentist Dr. Shimizu.   This is why it is so important to be aware of things like tooth decay, periodontal gum issues, as well as lingering sores in your mouth or throat. This awareness can allow you to take the appropriate action to remedy the problems in your mouth which ultimately will contribute and support the health of the rest of your body.

What’s The Connection

Because there is so much bacteria in your mouth, if left unchecked for an extended period of time, this can lead to oral infections, decayed teeth, and periodontal gum disease.  Generally, if you have a healthy immune system, have good daily brushing and flossing habits, and visit the dentist on a regular basis, these bacteria can be kept in check.  However, if you have a weakened immune system or do not have good oral hygiene habits, then tooth decay or gum disease could set in. With that, certain drugs or medications that you might be taking which can restrict saliva flow may also cause problems.  Acids produced by bacteria in your mouth need to be neutralized to prevent overgrowth and saliva is the key to this neutralization and disease prevention. Oral bacteria and periodontitis (severe gum disease) may also play a role in causing some other diseases in your body.  With that, diseases like HIV and diabetes can affect your body’s immune system making you susceptible to problems in your mouth.

What Can You Do

Daily brushing and flossing, along with regular visits to our San Jose dentist office for cleanings and checkups will help tremendously in achieving and maintaining good oral health, which in turn will support your overall health. If you’re in or around the San Jose area, call our office at 408.923.5511 and we’ll help you live a healthier life.

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