Abu Dhabi: If oral hygiene is neglected or ignored, it eventually causes periodontal disease which is linked to cardiovascular diseases, pre term birth, osteoporosis and even stroke.
In fact, the relationship between type I and type II diabetes and periodontal disease has often been referred to as the sixth complication in diabetic patients.
Just as you clean your hands with soap to fend off bacteria and infections, brushing right is the easiest way to protect your teeth and gums. When normal bacteria inside your mouth come in contact with sugar, acid is produced which acts on the tooth enamel. Forgetting to brush even one day makes that acid act on your tooth enamel, creating plaque. Once plaque has calcified, it can only be removed by professional cleaning.
This is why a dental visit every six months is recommended. Fail to do even that, your gums will become infected and then the infection simply spreads to other parts of your body.
Smoking is worse. It is not only the addiction part of it, rather it changes the taste of your food, creates foul breath, leaves stains on the teeth and contributes to the development of both gum disease and oral cancer.
Oral health is a bigger topic that any of us give credit for and small efforts go a long way.
Here is a list of easy things that you can do for good dental health:
- Brush properly twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
- Remember to floss
- Visit your dentist every six months
- Have a proper diet with less sugar intake
- Reduce or quit smoking
If you notice that you have bleeding, red or swollen gums, or if your teeth have become really sensitive or loose, get them checked immediately.
Remember, if you don’t clean them, you might lose them.
The writer is general dentist at LLH Hospital Abu Dhabi
