World Oral Health Day: Did you know, our mouths are gateway to all that goes inside our body from food to bacteria. Hence, bad hygiene can lead to severe health issues, we probably did not know much about.
World Oral Health Day 2023: Some things appear quite simple but have major impact. In terms of health, there are several areas of the body that are rather neglected or take a back seat when it comes to taking care of it. Oral hygiene is one of them. Every year March 20 is celebrated as World Oral Health Day. This day is celebrated to promote and spread awareness about importance of oral hygiene. Our mouth is a passageway to good and bad things that affect our overall physical health. Bad breath is distanced and not a good sign of good oral health. Severe complications can even lead to further complications in the body from digestion to heart health. According to data collected by World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly 3.5 billion people are affected by oral diseases. Tooth decay or untreated oral health in teeth is the most common health condition as per Global Burden Disease 2019.
WHO stated that, ” Oral diseases are caused by a range of modifiable risk factors common to many noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including sugar consumption, tobacco use, alcohol use and poor hygiene, and their underlying social and commercial determinants.”
How Oral Health Affects Overall Health?
Endocarditis: Due to bad oral hygiene sometimes, the heart is also put at risk. This condition is an infection that is developed in the inner lining of heart chambers or valves. It can be caused due to entering of bacteria from mouth. If it spreads int he bloodstream it leads to serious infection.
Pneumonia: While there is still more research to be done to establish a strong relation between bad oral hygiene and pneumonia. However, according to few studies, when bad bacteria due to poor hygiene enters from mouth into the lungs, it leads to pneumonia and respiratory issues.
Pregnancy Problems: Sever deterioration of the gums and soft tissues around the teeth leads to periodontist. It can further lead to complication during pregnancy like low weight at birth, or premature birth.
How To Improve Oral Health
- Brushing is the key: It is important to brush your teeth twice everyday. Soft bristled brush are usually recommended.
- Floss after brushing teeth to remove tiny food particles that cannot be removed with brushing.
- Limit sugary food and drinks.
- Too much smoking and alcohol leads to teeth discolouration too. So limit the consumption.
- Timely replace toothbrush after three to four months.
- Have regular dental check ups.