Health Conditions That Warrant Regular Tooth Cleaning
Your body is a highly interconnected system with different parts working in unison to achieve a common purpose. Proper oral hygiene is important for more than just your teeth. Healthy teeth can limit the damage from bacterial infections, bleeding gums or high sugar levels in your body. Furthermore, clean and healthy teeth also make you more resilient to autoimmune diseases, tooth decay and other similar conditions. This is why having your teeth regularly cleaned is so important.
Professional tooth cleaning eliminates germs, bacteria, plaque, sugars and other components that may settle on your teeth/gums and cause damage over time. Furthermore, patients who have specific health conditions may benefit even more from regular tooth cleaning. Here are three health conditions that require you to maintain clean teeth so you can remain healthier in the long run.
Periodontal disease
Periodontal disease refers to the loss of teeth and gums due to tartar. It often starts with bleeding in the gums, caused by a thin film of bacteria called plaque. Excess sugars and acids in your mouth may cause plaque to accumulate and harden over time. The result is tartar, a solid layer that causes your teeth to detach from their sockets. Some periodontal conditions are also caused by receding gums or frenectomy.
For patients who have periodontal disease, maintaining clean and healthy teeth is critical. Clean teeth are less prone to accumulating plaque and tartar. Furthermore, an important part of periodontal treatment involves cleaning the gums and teeth by removing hardened layers at the base of your teeth. In this way, bacteria are minimised, and tooth loss is prevented.
Diabetes
Patients with either type 1 or type II diabetes should also take tooth cleaning seriously. When your body has high sugar levels, you may experience low amounts of saliva in your mouth. Low saliva often causes dry mouth and the increased likelihood of tooth decay.
Regular tooth cleaning reduces bacteria concentrations and minimises the risk of cavities. In this way, you can lower the likelihood of high sugar levels triggering gum disease.
Iron deficiency
If you have low iron levels in your blood, you may not have enough minerals to form strong teeth and bones. This may result in weaker teeth and gums that are prone to infection. In such cases, maintaining clean and healthy teeth will be critical to preventing bacteria and plaque accumulation. Make sure you regularly have your teeth cleaned in addition to taking iron supplements for your body.
Contact a dentist for more information.