Look after your whole body by maintaining a healthy mouth.

Your eyes might be the window into your soul, but your mouth can reveal what’s going on in your body. Keeping your teeth and gums healthy doesn’t just ward off decay and keep your smile bright. It can actually lower your risk of certain health disorders, from cancer to cardiovascular disease.

Today, we’re taking a look at the powerful connection between dental care and your overall health. We’ll also share how our innovative dental technologies can put you on the fast track to optimal oral hygiene, improving your overall quality of life.

1. Early Detection of Systemic Disease

Systemic diseases are ones that affect your entire body, rather than just one part of you; common examples include high blood pressure and diabetes. Your mouth can reveal early warning signs of these diseases, even before you start exhibiting physical symptoms.

In the case of diabetes, for instance, you’ll often develop mouth lesions or similar oral problems, including gum disease. This is because diabetes weakens your mouth’s natural defense against bacteria, which can also lead to chronic bad breath and loose teeth.

2. Diagnoses Through Saliva

Did you know that doctors can measure the cortisol levels in a newborn’s saliva to test their stress responses? This is only one of the incredible insights that it can provide.

Your saliva can also hold biomarkers for certain kinds of cancer, including lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer. In addition, the bone-specific proteins it contains can help physicians detect and monitor early signs of osteoporosis in both men and women.

3. Defense Against Viruses and Bacteria

In addition to revealing information about your overall health, saliva also plays another important role. It acts as a barrier against many disease-causing organisms, including bacteria and viruses.

How does it work? Your saliva contains incredible antibodies that attack and help ward off viral pathogens, such as the common cold, as soon as they enter your mouth. There are also enzymes present in your saliva that attack dangerous bacteria in different ways, including:

• Degrading their bacterial membranes.
• Slowing their growth and metabolism.
• Disrupting their vital systems.

If that wasn’t enough, your saliva also contains special proteins called histatins. histatins help limit the growth of Candida albicans in your mouth, a natural fungus that, if left uncontrolled, can lead to uncomfortable oral thrush.

4. Reduced Inflammation

Brushing and flossing regularly can help keep your gums happy and healthy. It can also drastically lower your risk of developing severe gum disease, or periodontitis. This is a condition that affects and degrades the tissues and bone that support your teeth.

Gum disease can lead to chronic inflammation in your mouth, which allows bacteria to enter your bloodstream more easily. In turn, this can trigger increased inflammation in other parts of your body, including your heart. Over time, this can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

5. Stronger Immune System

As mentioned, your mouth has the important role of filtering out the bacteria and germs that threaten to invade your respiratory system and bloodstream.

A healthy mouth is a powerful defender, while an unhealthy one is unable to keep up with the job. If you develop periodontitis, the resulting inflammation can lead to an overabundance of bacteria, which can cause your immune system to overload. This renders it incapable of warding off the bad bacteria throughout the rest of your body, which could make you more susceptible to disease.

6. Lower Stress Levels

Have you ever woken up to a sore jaw? While this could be an effect of a health condition such as sleep apnea, you might have clenched it most of the night due to excess stress. Stress can also lead to myriad other oral problems, including teeth grinding, dry mouth, and canker sores.

At the same time, poor dental hygiene can also create significant anxiety, especially if you’re in and out of your dentist’s office for ongoing treatments. When your mouth is in great shape, you can help eliminate or greatly reduce that source of tension.

7. Healthier Pregnancy

You already know certain activities to avoid during pregnancy, including smoking and drinking. Now, you can add abandoning your toothbrush to that list. Research shows that periodontal disease can increase the risk of preterm labor and potentially lead to lower birth weights.

When you’re pregnant, your body’s natural defense against gum disease is already low due to hormonal shifts. That’s why it’s especially important to prioritize your oral health, keeping your teeth and gums healthy during your entire pregnancy (and beyond).

The Millennium DDS Difference

At Millennium DDS, we are well-versed in the direct relationship between your oral health and your overall health. That’s why we’re dedicated to connecting our patients to state-of-the-art technologies that make it easier than ever to take charge of their dental care.

A few of the innovative systems we use include:

• Digital x-rays and photographs to lower radiation exposure and quicken the imaging process.
• Snore appliances for sleep apnea sufferers.
• Intraoral cameras that aid in treatment planning and dental procedures.
• The SIROLaser for periodontal and endodontic applications.
• Identafi dental instrument to identify biochemical and morphological changes for early cancer detection.
• Surgical microscopes for intricate dental procedures.

These tools and technologies can help enhance your comfort and safety and improve your overall experience.

Prioritize your dental care today.

Your mouth is much more than your pearly whites. It’s one of your body’s most formidable forces against disease, bacteria, viruses, and more. It also holds eye-opening insights into your overall health and can help point to early signs of many health conditions.

It can’t do its job unless you do yours. When you establish a regular dental care schedule of brushing and flossing twice a day, you’re helping your mouth be as strong and healthy as possible.  Need a general cleaning? What about cosmetic or restorative dentistry? At Millennium DDS, we do it all. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and improve your health from the inside out.