What Are the Benefits of Maintaining Health and Wellness?
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of optimizing our physical and mental health. The novel Coronavirus seems to be sticking around, and in response, we need to make sure our health is in the best shape possible. In order to accomplish this, it is in all of our best interests to continue our routine healthcare visits, and this includes routine dental care. Many of the individuals who struggle with severe symptoms of COVID-19 have underlying conditions like heart disease, respiratory disease, histories of cancer, and diabetes. Oral health might not come to mind when we think of underlying conditions, but the truth is that your oral health is inextricably tied to your overall health.
How Does Oral Health Affect Overall Health?
The mouth can act as an entry for infection, and neglecting your oral health can leave you more vulnerable to infections of various kinds. Many individuals who have gum disease have co-occurring conditions like heart disease and gum disease. Gum disease can even affect the tissues and bones that support your teeth. When you keep up with your regular dental appointments, we will look out for the warning signs of gum disease and help prevent oral health issues from adding to the possibility of other issues. Some of the warning signs of gum disease that we will look for include:
- Red, swollen, or tender gums
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
- Persistent bad breath
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Changes in the way the teeth are formed
- Changes in the way your dentures fit
- The feeling of loose teeth
- Sensitive teeth
- Receding gums
Even simple dental infections can result from a deep cavity and can cause an abscess or gum disease. These types of oral health issues can also suppress your immune system and your ability to fight bacterial or viral infections. Because of this risk, your scheduled visits to your physicians, podiatrists, and dentist should not be procrastinated. The good news is that with the prevalent awareness of the pandemic, medical offices have created as safe of an environment as possible.
In particular, dental offices tended to uphold the highest standards of infection control throughout the past 40 years. The Hepatitis and HIV outbreaks of the early 1980’s changed the way we practice dentistry. Since then, our office has only increased our safety for both the team and our patients and we are following all the CDC recommendations. One statistic that is rather telling of the care dental offices take shows that zero cases of COVID-19 had been traced to dental offices at the time of the report. This report states that neither the World Health Organization nor the CDC have confirmed a case of COVID-19 transmitted in a dental office, which includes follow-up by the CDC of news reports that suggest these types of infections.
One of the missions of our team is to help you take ownership of your oral health, and to show you how that affects your overall health. We can help you understand the importance of brushing, flossing, and regular dental cleanings, and help you achieve the level of well-being you deserve to reach. Not only will we keep you informed on the condition of your teeth, but we will keep your future oral health and your smile bright.
If you have been putting off your dental health, call us at (718) 550-3541 or contact us online to make your essential visit. We will take great care of you and help you maintain your overall health.