Taking care of your dentures properly will do more than just grant you a killer smile. Your oral health is a huge component of your overall health. If you’re like many of our patients, dentures aren’t the only health concern you have on your mind. However, proper maintenance can help you from collecting new ailments and possibly even help pacify your existing ones!
Keep Your Head on Straight
The most obvious area that oral health affects is your mouth. Loose dentures can cause inflammation and increase the risk of your gums becoming infected. Improper fit can also impact your bite, resulting in joint pain and headaches. These may seem like minor inconveniences, but if your dentures aren’t fitted correctly these issues won’t just go away.
Support Your Stomach
Your mouth is the gateway to all of the nutrition your body will ingest. Dentures that aren’t taken care of can make eating a painful experience. This will drastically affect the type of foods you will be willing to eat. Let’s face it, eating only soft foods won’t get you the nutrients you need. This can lead to weight loss or malnutrition, exacerbating existing problems and creating new ones.
Protect Your Heart
It is yet to be determined whether poor oral health directly affects heart health, but research is showing some undeniable connections. Gum disease is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and those who suffer from diabetes have been known to benefit from periodontal treatment. At the very least, poor oral health drastically increases the risk of a bloodstream infection. Any infection in the blood, regardless of where it emerged, can travel to the heart. In fact, those with artificial heart valves need to pay special attention to their oral health.
Getting dentures is often the first step in improving your oral health. The next step is developing great oral care habits such as regular checkups and daily cleaning. If your dentures are impeding your life in any way, don’t wait until a problem arises. Contact the experts at South Calgary Denture and Implant Clinic today!
