How often do we hear the phrase “a healthy mouth equals a healthy body”? I’m guessing not often. People often mistake a good oral hygiene to being only limited to providing a healthy mouth. Common sense tells us that almost everything we ingest come through our mouths first. So having a clean mouth is likewise the same as living on a healthy diet. The food we ingest, when contaminated with foreign bacteria in the mouth, can lead to illnesses, thereby reducing our productivity.

Thoroughly cleaning our mouth is not a hype—it’s an activity most of us should adhere to if we want our bodies to function properly. A good sign of a healthy body is healthy teeth. Having healthy teeth gives the impression that we are choosy with what we eat. Notice that when we glance at someone, even how beautiful that person looks, if their teeth are yellow and their gums are black, we immediately get turned off one way or another.

Colgate has always been a proponent of the “Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body” campaign. They’ve published reports on how serious gum diseases have been linked to life-threatening medical illnesses, like cancer and diabetes. On the forefront of the issue are not their product advertisements, but their advocacy to keep the public informed on the hazards of not brushing our teeth.

What is the most distinct association between these the mouth and the rest of the body, anyway? For one, the mouth serves as the first stage where food gets grinded and sent to the esophagus. Mind you that the body reacts sensitively to unknown contaminants and substances that enter the body. If you happen to see any swelling on your gums and some new, unsightly stains on your teeth, it’s high time you consult both your dentist and your resident doctor as well. This might be the onset of a gum disease or tartar buildup: both of which are health-threatening dental conditions like periodontitis.

Brushing your teeth sounds like a good idea, and indeed it is. But to ensure maximum protection for your mouth, gums and teeth, you should also floss and mind the food that you eat. If you know that you are allergic to the food served on a platter, you better not eat it. If you also know that the food you’re about to eat is high in sugar or more than the quantity your body normally intakes, eat in moderation.

Recent studies have confirmed the link of periodontitis to cardiovascular diseases such as heart diseases and strokes, not to mention other systematic diseases like diabetes, cancer and hepatitis. It is a good start to live a healthy lifestyle while you’re young, or face the toll of wasteful living when you’ve reached a ripe age—an age some medical professionals consider as the point when even the strongest medications and surgeries fail to fix the problem.

The health of the gums is a very important factor to consider. Bleeding gums are most likely to be the catalyst of more serious health issues like periodontitis and cancer because of the instant contamination of the bloodstream when bacteria makes its way into the blood gushing from the gums.

Dental plaque may look harmless, but it’s just the same as having periodontitis, only patients with severe cases of hardened plaque, or “tartar” are also prone to various gum diseases, like as mentioned, periodontitis.

The common notion that a sudden attack of periodontitis sets in when one has diabetes is very true. Patients who have diabetes have the twice the risk of acquiring periodontitis if they do not take care of their dental health. And the rate of diabetes-induced periodontitis has accelerated levels of damage. Within a few months, the teeth may start falling off, because of the uncontrolled glucose levels of the body, leading to poor blood circulation to the gums.

Now, as a question of interest: Do you now believe that a healthy mouth equals a healthy body?

Be aware, be informed. View our other articles on dentistry and oral health.