A healthy smile improves social interactions, communication, and the ability to perform well in work and school. But there are many more reasons to maintain great oral health. The National Academy of Medicine reports that oral health is connected to good overall health and oral diseases can worsen health problems outside of the mouth.

Links to Other Diseases

Studies have found that oral health complications can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. People with gum disease have nearly double the risk for heart disease as those with healthy gums, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. Chronic inflammation from gum disease may also raise cholesterol levels. Poor dental health can also increase your risk of a bacterial infection in the blood stream, which can affect your heart valves.

Gum disease appears to be more frequent and severe in diabetics. In addition, people with gum disease have more difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels.

Additional Effects

Untreated oral diseases can lead to problems with eating, speaking, learning, and productivity for children and adults. Oral problems can also lead to bad dietary choices that can damage overall health.

Additional issues connected to oral health include a link between premature birth and low birth weight to expectant mothers with gum disease. Additionally, American children miss millions of school days and adults miss an estimated 164 million hours of work due to oral health problems each year. Oral diseases that are mostly untreated (and often preventable) send more than 2.1 million Americans to the emergency department each year.

Preventing Gum Disease

Gum disease, along with most oral diseases, is almost entirely preventable. Be sure to brush your teeth twice a day, floss daily, and visit your dentist regularly. With an oral exam, your dentist can potentially detect signs of more than 120 diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Early detection can make treatment easier, less costly and even lifesaving.