Medical Conditions that Affect Dental Health

April 03, 2020, London Dental Implant

Oral and general health are integral to each other. There are a number of health issues and unhealthy habits that are detrimental not only to your general health, but to your oral health as well.

We examine three common issues that affect your oral health: diabetes, acid reflux and smoking.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that influences the ability of the body to process sugar.

Diabetes type one involves the body’s inability to produce enough insulin, the hormone that transports sugar from the blood to the cells for energy purposes.

Diabetes type two is whereby the body fails to respond to insulin.

Both types raise blood sugar levels in the body, hence causing diverse health issues, including dental problems.

Some of the dental health issues associated with diabetes include:

• The decrease of saliva, which causes dry mouth. Most people do not know that saliva plays an essential role in protecting the teeth. Thus, whenever diabetes lowers the saliva, you are prone to increased cavities on your teeth.
• Diabetes also causes gum bleeding and inflammation, a condition known as gingivitis, which inflicts constant pain and makes you extremely uncomfortable.

It is essential to eat the right kind of diet that will enable the constant stabilization of your sugar levels, by doing this; you safeguard the beauty of your smile by protecting your teeth from the damages that present with diabetes.

Acid Reflux

The people experiencing acid reflux issues are usually termed as suffering from GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease).

Most often people having acid reflux experience chest pain after eating too much or unhealthy foods.

However in more serious cases, the acid that generates from the stomach back up to the food pipe can as well go up to the mouth. It then causes the mouth to always dry.

This facilitates plaque build up and dental bacteria, which can lead to consistent teeth cavities and decay.

Such issues arise due to the acid’s effect of reducing the minerals present on the teeth or removing teeth layers.

Usually, the most affected are the surfaces of the teeth. Moreover, you will lose the teeth’s enamel over time due to the regular impact of stomach acid on the teeth.

To lower the effects of acid reflux on the teeth, ensure that you watch keenly on your diet:

• Avoid too sugary, greasy and spicy foods that may aggravate the condition.
• Ensure you eat in small portions, rather than huge meals in one sitting, which usually induces acidity.

Such measures will contribute to improved dental health. In the case of severe acid reflux, it is crucial to visit a specialist such as a gastroenterologist, for further examination.

Smoking

Smoking may bring about grave issues for the teeth and oral makeup. It is even worse when proper health care is not observed. Research indicates that smokers are three times predisposed to developing gum diseases than non-smokers.

Smoking affects the gum by destroying both the bone and soft tissues aligned to the teeth. Such issues will reduce blood flow to the gums. The smokers are, therefore, susceptible to regular infections and wounds on the gums, which do not heal quickly.

As cavities continue to eat away into the core of the teeth where the nerve is situated, it may further lead to teeth abscesses. What follows is the death of the nerve.

The cells in the nerve tissue will discharge their contents, which then collects to form pus in or within the affected tooth. In this case, the patient must visit a dentist who offers root canal therapy to clean the inside of the tooth canal and restore the health of their teeth.

Smoking also encourages periodontal disease, which occurs when bacteria around the teeth destroy the bone, hence causing a hole that goes deeper beneath the bone and gum, to the peak of the tooth. This condition also encourages teeth abscess.

As an addicted smoker, the following are other dental problems that you should expect:

• Discoloration of teeth to yellow, brown, black or green
• Bad breath
• High chances of tartar and plaque buildup on the teeth
• Increased occasions of teeth losses
• More extended periods of healing after tooth extraction, or other dental procedures such as dental implant processes, and oral surgeries
• Issues of leukoplakia, which involves the formation of white mouth patches
• High risk of oral cancer

Wrapping Up

We have discussed above the common conditions that affect our dental health.

Note that your eating habits will impact significantly on your overall well-being, dental health included. Ensure you focus on the healthiest nutritional diet options such as plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, as well as taking a lot of water.

Endeavor to avoid foodstuffs containing processed sugars, which may worsen your dental health.

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