Keeping your oral health at its healthiest state is important. Good oral hygiene is the key to achieve it. Checking with your dentist regularly can also decrease your chance of having oral health problems. Tooth decay, tooth loss and gum diseases are just a few of dental problems that you can experience. Dental problems don’t just affect your mouth, but it can affect your overall health condition.
Dental problems are a sign of poor oral health which can also give you clues about your overall health. In fact, many health problems are linked to a poor oral conditions. Didn’t they say that your mouth is the entryway to your body? If you don’t follow good oral hygiene, the acids and sugars from the foods that you eat will make your mouth a perfect place for bacteria to thrive in. While the bacteria will create havoc on your oral cavities, some of them will also move towards your internal organs triggers different illnesses such as liver cancer.
Liver cancer is cancer that begins in the liver cell. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, liver cancer affects 33,000 Americans each year with 27,000 patients dying from it. There could be several types of cancer that could form in your liver such as hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatoblastoma. The cause of liver cancer can be known such as inherited liver diseases, excessive alcohol consumption or having cirrhosis. Many researches have shown a connection between oral health and other diseases such as pancreatic cancer, heart diseases and diabetes to name a few. To add to this growing list, poor oral health also increases the risk for liver cancer by up to 75%. This is the main reason why it is important to keep a healthy oral health.
Of course, the risk of getting liver cancer because of poor oral health might still need more solid evidence but why put yourself at risk? Keep an excellent dental health by keeping a healthier mouth through proper oral hygiene by:
- Brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Make sure to pay attention to the areas of your mouth such as the chewing surfaces and those that are hard to reach surfaces. Use a fluoride toothpaste as it can protect your teeth from decay. Brushing is normal but most people ignore its importance.
- Floss daily. Flossing allows you to get rid of food particles that are trapped between your teeth. It will help prevent the buildup of plaque on your teeth.
- Practice healthy eating habits. Do not eat foods or beverages with too much sugar. Sugary drinks and food can cause cavities which can lead to tooth loss.
- Go to your dentist regularly. Checking with your dentist regularly can prevent dental problems from happening or if there are any, it will be treated and will not progress.
Practicing proper dental care is indeed important and the key to maintaining a healthy mouth and teeth. Doing this will not only protect your dental health, but also reduce the risk of more serious health problems.
