Your overall health can be affected by your oral health. Bad oral heath can lead to diabetes, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s diseases, and Sjogren’s disease. Not looking after your mouth, gums, and teeth causes unfriendly bacteria to spread around your whole body. This can lead to gastrointestinal disease. Imbalanced oral bacteria negatively affect your gut microbiome, possibly even the health of your immune defence.
Diseases caused by bad Oral Health
Alzheimer’s disease can also be
linked to poor oral health. Research found that gingivitis bacteria, may be
linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s. Gingivitis bacteria produces gingipains.
This appears to correlate with the elevated brain levels of tau and ubiquitin,
which are often found in Alzheimer’s patients. Preventing the spread of
gingipains has shown to have an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect.
Gum disease can lead to developing
cardiovascular disease more easily also. Oral bacteria can lead to
endocarditis. This is from bacteria entering the blood and settling in parts of
the heart or blood vessels. Also, bacteria in your mouth can eventually end up
in your lungs leading to health problems like pneumonia.
How diet affects your teeth
If you eat a diet high in processed,
sugary foods it can cause you significant oral health problems. This type of
food is highly likely to leave behind substances that cause tooth decay and
cavities. It can be made worse if you don’t practice good oral hygiene habits
like brushing and flossing. Soft drink and other drinks that are high in sugar can
be very damaging as they bath your teeth in sugar.
If you want healthy teeth and a good
immune system it is important to include plenty of plant sources of calcium and
phosphorus to your diet. These are important minerals for tooth strength.
Foods to help keep your teeth healthy
Plant based sources include: tofu, unsweetened
plant milks, leafy greens, almonds, beans and lentils, sunflower seeds and whole
grains, such as quinoa. There are some fruits that should be eaten minimally in
order to have healthy teeth and one of these is citrus. The reason is because citrus
can wear down the tooth’s enamel and lead to removing some of the minerals from
the tooth. This makes your teeth weak. When your teeth are weakened, it can lead
to cavities and decay. It is not recommended to avoid citrus fruit altogether
though as they are high in Vitamin C – an essential vitamin. Just be aware to
rinse or brush your teeth after your meals as the dentist would tell you and
your teeth should be fine.
Remember to visit your dentist every
six months for a check-up. If you are having issues with your teeth and
immunity give us a call as we can help you with tips for a healthy diet to
assist your whole body’s healing.
