It has probably been drilled into you throughout your life that taking good care of your mouth, teeth, and gums is of utmost importance. Your denturist in Portland OR Tanya Poleon stresses that keeping up with your oral and dental hygiene can help you prevent mouth conditions, such as bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease, as well as keep your natural teeth for as long as possible.
Brushing and flossing are both activities that are seen as vital to ensuring a healthy mouth, but they can also be your first line of defense when it comes to other dangerous medical conditions.
As the case for maintaining good oral hygiene keeps getting stronger, it is important for you to understand how important your oral health is to your overall health.
So what does your mouth tell us about your overall health?
The answer to that question is… Plenty!
A simple swab or look inside can actually give your doctor a world of insight into what’s going on inside your body.
Your saliva can also be used to detect for a variety of diseases and substances including:
- Cortisol levels
- Fragments of certain bone-specific proteins
- Drugs
- Certain cancers
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Many other infectious diseases
Dental plaque has a connection to a variety of infections and diseases. Even though your saliva is great for protecting you against some invaders, it isn’t infallible. Many different types of bacteria can grow and thrive within your mouth. These bacteria constantly form a sticky, colorless film called dental plaque. This substance can cling to your teeth and cause you many pesky health problems.
This is especially the case when you forget to brush and floss on a regular basis. Allowing the plaque to build up along your gum-line can create the perfect environment for additional bacteria to accumulate.
This bacteria can lead to gum infections, such as: 
- Gingivitis
- Periodontitis
- Trench mouth
These are just a few reasons why good habits are important to your overall health… Your mouth is more than just a pretty smile or a way to enjoy your favorite meal… It’s the gateway to the rest of your body!
It is also important to know that caring for your natural teeth and caring for your dentures does differ. Here is the proper way to care for your dentures:
- When cleaning your dentures, hold them over a sink of warm water to avoid damage if they are dropped
- Rinse them thoroughly with warm water to make sure food particles are removed
- Use a denture cleanser to avoid damage to the denture
- Moisten a denture brush to gently clean all surfaces of your denture
- Brush your tongue, gums, and natural teeth with a fluoride toothpaste before putting your dentures back in to help remove plaque
- Rinse your mouth with mouthwash after you brush to be refreshed.
In many cases, you might have partial dentures and still have some natural teeth left, so it is important to use the proper hygiene suggestions for each to ensure and maintain proper oral health.
At Classic Denture Center, we know how much your smile means to you, and we hope you know how much it means to us! We want to make sure that you have the tools to keep it in it’s best shape for as long as possible, which is why dental hygiene is our biggest push for our patients!
Your denturist in Portland OR believes firmly that the relationship between your overall health and your oral health is one of the most important connections out there. So please resolve to regularly practice good oral hygiene each and every day. This is an investment that you are making in our health, for the rest of your life!
Contact us today or schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you improve your health, in every way possible, through effective oral care.