How Managing Your Wellness Starts in Your Mouth
The trend at the moment is to say that wellness starts in the gut, and there's some truth to this. The type of bacteria growing in your stomach can have an enormous impact on how you feel and your metabolism. The reality is that wellness can also start in your mouth, specifically your teeth. Here’s how:
There's a direct highway to your heart
One of the top reasons why personal wellness often starts with your teeth is the direct link between your heart health and the health of your gums. Brushing and flossing don't just keep plaque away from your teeth; they can also keep it out of your arteries.
Why does this happen? It ultimately occurs because when you have bleeding gums or periodontitis, bacteria can get into the bloodstream and then travel around your cardiovascular system. This causes an immune response, which increases the likelihood of inflammation and plaque formation. For some people, it can be particularly dangerous, leading to heart attacks or strokes, which is why a clean and healthy mouth is essential.
Better blood sugar management
For the same reason, people who look after their teeth well often have better blood sugar management. Bacteria aren't getting into their bloodstream and causing inflammation that can interfere with the operation of hormones like insulin. Chronic inflammation in the mouth makes it harder for the body to use insulin efficiently, leading to more spikes in blood sugar after meals. Even worse, high blood sugar levels can then reduce the body's ability to fight off infections, leading to a vicious cycle.
Experts and professionals like The Wellington Clinic recommend dental checkups at least every six months to prevent generalised health issues, and more often than that if you have active gum disease or a diagnosis, like diabetes.
Better gut health
As already mentioned, it's trendy today to say that a person's health begins in their gut. Often, bacteria from the mouth find their way into the gut and populate it. When the oral cavity isn't healthy, it can affect the types of bacteria and other species living in the small and large intestine further down.
For example, if you're constantly swallowing pathogenic bacteria from infected gums, those microbes go straight into your digestive system and can cause stomach upsets and disrupt the natural balance of bacteria for digesting and processing food. At the same time, painful teeth can prevent a proper mechanical breakdown of food so that it arrives in your gut in larger particles and can't be digested properly.
Better mental wellness and confidence
Finally, a healthy smile can improve your mental wellness and confidence. As is now becoming increasingly clear, how you feel internally can have profound effects on your overall health.
For example, when you feel confident and happy, your immune system is much more likely to function the way you want. You are also better able to be productive at work, so you have more resources and time to dedicate to your health and wellness overall. You are not constantly stressed all the time, and you sleep better.
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