Do you also not take your oral hygiene seriously? Do you not brush twice a day? Or when you want to finish it? It would be best to read this article to the end and learn about the serious side effects of poor oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth twice a day not only prevents the buildup of plaque and tartar in your mouth but also contributes to keeping your overall health in check.
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Oral health is not a tiny thing; ignoring it can cause various serious health issues, from diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart issues to liver diseases and much worse. So, you should take your oral hygiene seriously. Let’s learn about the severe side effects of poor oral hygiene and then discuss how to maintain good oral hygiene.
Side Effects of Poor Oral Hygiene
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease refers to a progressive brain disorder that can affect your behavior, memory, and thinking process. It is one of the most common types of dementia, which can become worse with age. Recently, a study has been published in the journal Microorganisms, which shed light on the link between oral health and Alzheimer’s disease, primarily through a protein amyloid-beta, which has been produced in the body of people with infection and can be found in high quantity in the brain of the people with the Alzheimer disease.
Since oral disease is also a driver of infection, amyloid-beta can also be found around the area of the infected teeth or gums. Thus, the protein enters one’s bloodstream and reaches the brain. That’s how oral health affects the brain. This is one of the severe side effects of poor oral hygiene.
Diabetes
It has been said that diabetes people with diabetes are at a higher risk of gum disease. But do you know it works in both ways? Having poor gum health can also lead to an increase in the risks of diabetes. If you are suffering from one issue, there is a higher chance of suffering from another. So this is also one of the dangerous side effects of poor oral hygiene, which requires you never to ignore your oral hygiene brush twice a day and eat the foods that improve your oral health.
Liver cancer and liver disease
As per a study published in the journal SAGE, having poor oral health can increase your chances by 70% of having liver cancer. The liver is the central part of our body that works to remove bacteria and other unnecessary elements from our body. Still, when our liver is infected, bacteria tend to rise, leading to more severe health problems. So, one of the hidden side effects of poor oral hygiene is that it is linked to your liver. If you do not maintain oral hygiene, then there is a higher chance of bacteria originating in the oral cavity.
Lung conditions
One of the hidden side effects of poor oral hygiene is linked to your lungs. Our mouth contains a bacterial plaque, and when we don’t follow proper oral hygiene, the plague tends to grow and start spreading in our lungs while we inhale, which can further cause infection and affect our lung health. People with the condition aspiration pneumonia, which means when food or liquid is breathed into your lungs, are at a higher risk. So, to prevent lung-related issues, you should start following proper oral hygiene to keep your mouth fresh and free from bacteria.
Heart disease and strokes
People who have suffered through periodontal are more likely to suffer from heart disease, as per a study published in the Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. Some studies also suggest the link between poor oral hygiene and the inflammatory markers found in the bloodstream and those who have suffered from heart disease or strokes.
How to maintain a better oral hygiene?
So now you know the dangerous side effects of poor oral hygiene. So now you should take your oral health lightly and start working to improve it. Here are some practical tips to improve your oral health.
- It would be best to start eating diverse foods, especially beans, legumes, and fruit.
- Focus more on a diet that is rich in fiber and promotes good bacteria.
- Add fermented foods to your diet, such as yogurt and kefir, which promote good bacteria and reduce pathogenic bacteria.
- Focus more on eating prebiotic foods, such as fiber-rich foods such as artichokes, asparagus, bananas, oats, and apples, which stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria.
- Avoid eating sugary foods and fizzy and diet drinks.
- Choose a toothpaste that boosts the microbiome and supports good oral hygiene.
- Brush your teeth twice a day.
- Gargle and drink salt water, as it is a natural solution to kill and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
These tips can reduce the side effects of poor oral hygiene and keep you healthy. From now on, you should not take your oral health lightly; otherwise, you can face some serious health issues. If our information has helped you in any way, or if you want us to cover any other topic, please let us know in the comment section below.
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