Are you the type of person who brushes your teeth just once a day? Are you someone who hates flossing? Or do you try to avoid visiting your dentist as much as possible? Well then, have we got bad news for you. Jeng jeng jeng.
Source: Pinterest
Did you know that bad oral hygiene can affect your overall health, which may even result in death? It’s true! Cavities, swollen gums, exposed roots and other common teeth problems aren’t just issues that affect your mouth and dental records. These things, if left untreated, can lead to much worse consequences.
If you have neither of those problems but you don’t brush your teeth regularly, you may be in trouble yourself! Read on to find out more about what bad oral hygiene can do to your health:
1. It can mess with your memory
Source: GSM
It was found that bad oral hygiene can increase a person’s chances at dementia. Although the reasons are unclear, researchers found that the bacteria in the mouth could travel to the brain through the bloodstream or cranial nerves connected to your jaw. This bacteria is also thought to contribute to the kind of plaque linked to Alzheimer’s.
2. It can hurt your heart
Source: Youtube
By ‘hurt your heart’, we mean heart diseases. Yes, bad oral hygiene can cause heart diseases.
How this happens is when the bacteria from your inflamed gums enters your bloodstream. It then makes its way into your heart arteries and causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Similar to plaque that can be found on teeth, atherosclerosis causes plaque to develop on the inner walls of your arteries and this can lead to either a stroke or heart attack.
3. It can affect your respiratory system
Source: Goldbamboo & ChestXray
Bad oral hygiene is known to increase a person’s risk of getting respiratory infections. These infections include pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is believed this is caused by inhaling the bacteria in your mouth into your lungs, thus causing inflamed airways.
4. It causes bad breath
Source: SHAPE SINGAPORE
Now, doesn’t matter if your teeth ‘appears’ white, but if you don’t brush your teeth or clean your teeth properly, the food residue or bacteria that’s left in your mouth will cause your breath to smell foul. Eww! How to paktor like that?!
5. Your gums bleed easily
Source: Denise Bass Allen DDS
If you’ve been wondering why your gums bleed then it’s likely due to plaque build-up from not brushing your teeth! Contrary to belief, bleeding gums mean you should brush more to get rid of those plaque, not less!
6. Your blood sugar may be affected
Source: Mamamia
There is an odd connection between gum infection and diabetes but it is found that diabetics had a higher chance of facing gum diseases. Additionally, diabetics facing gum diseases had a tougher time controlling their blood sugar levels. On the other hand, diabetics who treated their gum infections were able improve their diabetes symptoms.
7. It can make it harder for women to get pregnant
Source: istock
Although not impossible, a research done in Western Australia showed that women with gum diseases took a longer time to conceive as compared to those with healthy gums. Additionally, gum diseases may also increase a pregnant woman’s chances at facing a miscarriage.
8. You’ll likely end up forever alone
Source: Izismile
Come on, let’s be honest here, would you be comfortable kissing someone who has dirty teeth and a stinky mouth? I don’t think so! So keep those pearly whites clean and breath fresh, and you may not end up single forever!
So what do I need to do to avoid all of that?!
Simple, start practicing good oral hygiene lah! Make sure you do the following:
- Floss before brushing your teeth (because dentists time and time again said just brushing alone is not enough to keep your mouth clean)
- Brush with fluoride toothpaste, at least twice a day
- Replace your toothbrush every three months
- Visit your dentist regularly
- Avoid tobacco
Source: Daily Mirror
It’s not rocket science, and it’s not hard to do either. What’s more, just taking less than 10 minutes to brush and floss could save you a lifetime of illnesses (and being forever alone)! So remember to always bangun pagi, gosok gigi, cuci muka, before you pakai baju or do anything else!
Also read: 31-Year-Old Reporter Clocks in 159 Hours of Overtime, Dies of Heart Failure
