The Importance of a Healthy Mouth

By Husna R. Baksh, MD

Youve heard the saying “your beautiful smile is the key to opening doors.” You can get jobs, friends and success all with that beautiful smile. Well, have you heard the saying, “your beautiful smile means a healthy heart.” What does that mean? Well, before you read any further, go brush your teeth and then floss.
Why go to all the trouble to brush your teeth 2-3 times per day and floss after meals? If you had the chance to prevent heart disease, bacteria spreading to the blood (which is a sure way to end up stuck to a hospital bed), heart attacks and strokes by being religious about brushing would you do that? Some researchers believe this association exists.
We have a lot of diabetic patients in our practice and we are getting into the habit of telling them, “please get to know your toothbrush, your floss and your dentist very well.”
If you are a diabetic poor dental health can make your blood sugars go out of control, which means you get the privilege of taking more oral medication, or even better, you may have to start injectable medications. Im going to bet that you would prefer to brush and floss three times per day versus having to stick yourself with a needle three times per day every day of the week.
What about periodontal disease and premature birth? Some research shows that bacteria in a pregnant womans mouth may end up into the placenta or amniotic fluid possibly causing premature birth. The key to decreasing these possibilities is to have good oral hygiene before pregnancy since treating this during pregnancy may be too late.
For those persons prone to osteoporosis, some of the first signs of this disease might be seen in an x-ray done at your dentists office. As soon as you show these signs make your primary care doctor aware so they can start evaluations and treatment to prevent such things as fractures, loss of height and pain from compression of bone in the spinal column.
When your healthcare provider looks into your mouth they may also see signs of HIV/AIDS, certain cancers, eating disorders, syphilis or gonorrhea. Amazing isnt it?
So, you know that the importance of your beautiful smile is about much more than good looks, getting friends, a job and success. Its about great health, which is unquestionably, priceless.