Oral health is more than just your mouth

Apr 26, 2016 | 4:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — Most of us know that diet and exercise play an important role in keeping us healthy. But did you know that a healthy mouth is also a crucial part of your overall well-being? 

April is Oral Health Month, a time to think about the importance of keeping our teeth and gums healthy. 
 

WATCH: Full report by Tanya Cronin

Poor oral health can cause mouth pain, infections and have an impact on the way a person speaks, eats and socializes. But the problems can also be a sign of something more serious, including cancer.  

It’s about much more than just your smile. Going to the dentist might be something many of us dread, but it could turn out to be a life-saving visit.

“For regular check ups, we can look for screening for oral cancer, we might see early signs of certain inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal system, and Crohn’s disease is one that can present in the mouth, various infections can also show up in the mouth,” says Dr. Kerry Flintoff, Kamloops Orthodontist.

Your mouth can offer clues about your overall health. Just like many areas of the body, the mouth is filled with bacteria, most harmless and can be controlled by daily brushing and flossing. But poor oral hygiene can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

“The risk of having plaque in certain spots long term, it can eventually lead to gum disease, also known as periodontal disease and what happens is it’s an ongoing inflammation around the structure that holds the tooth in place that can lead to bone loss and gum loss, over a long term period.”

Which can then be linked to potentially significant and lifelong health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory illness. 

“Your body is sending blood cells and trying to attack the bacteria in your gums, so it’s this ongoing process that can really put a lot of inflammatory mediators in your blood stream and people that have diabetes will have poorly controlled blood sugar as a result, you’re also more prone to build up in the arteries.”

Dr. Kerry Flintoff says for decades there’s been a seperation between dentistry and medicine. But mounting evidence proves oral health problems can be a sign of something more serious. 

“In our minds they’re seperate when they’re actually not, even though the systems are different, we’re trying to bring them together and have people look at it as a whole unit that functions together.”

Taking care of your mouth is something we can all maintain. Make brushing and flossing an important part of your daily routine. Afterall, there’s a reason your dentist drives home that message.
    
“Ideally 3 times, at least twice, and if you can floss everyday that’s amazing, something people could do a lot better,” says Dr. Flintoff.