Why is Oral Health Given High Priority?
Oral health is not just an attractive smile. It is a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate. Poor oral health can have significant impact on ones quality of life. Recent studies have shown that there is a relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease and pre-term low-weight babies. Similarly it has been proved that 90% of all systematic diseases have oral manifestations. This means that your dentist would be your first health care provider who can diagnose a health problem.
What are the causes of poor oral health? This is a common question which all of us would like to know. The recent study conducted on oral health in America has shown that a large percentage of population suffers from reduced quality of life due to oral and facial pain. The main cause of this pain is infection of gums supporting teeth. This may also lead to teeth loss. This study also confirms that about 75% of population is affected by some form of periodontal disease or gingivitis.
This oral infection can also affect other organs of the body. For instance: bacterial endocarditis is a condition in which the lining of heart and its valves become inflamed. Besides this, improper oral care can lead to oral cancer or even affect the digestive process which begins with physical and chemical activities in the mouth. These problems can lead to intestinal failure, irritable bowel syndrome and other related problems.
Most of the disease can be diagnosed in their early stages through oral examination. Since most of the times mouth tissues reflect symptoms relating to other problems. Diseases like diabetics, leukemia, kidney problems and cancer can be characterised by swollen gums, mouth ulcers, dry mouth and excessive gum problems.
So, what is the best recourse? Consulting a doctor ever six months is mandatory. This helps in diagnosing diseases in their early stages. It is also important that you keep your dentist updated with your complete medical or dental history even if it is unrelated to your oral health. These regular check ups can help you in maintaining your mouth in perfect condition and also keep an eye on developments that may pin point problem elsewhere in your body.
Dental examinations also help in identifying poor nutrition, hygiene, growth, developmental problems and improper jaw alignment. Recent studies have shown that 90% of dentists take up counselling for patients on home care for oral health that may result due to chemotherapy or head and neck radiation therapies. Dentists also counsel patients on use of tobacco, disadvantages of using tobacco and even provide information on tobacco cessation programs.
Besides dentists and voluntary organisations, World Health Organisation (WHO) is also taking active part by coming up with innovative programs in order to create awareness among people on the importance of oral health. The main objective of WHO is to lay greater emphasis on developing global policies for oral health promotion and oral disease prevention.
Proper care along with regular dental check ups can help you in preserving your natural smile.
