Good Dental Health Is Vital To Your Overall Well-Being
If you’re considering dental implants in Richmond or elsewhere in the UK, you are unlikely to be eligible if you haven’t mastered the art of good oral hygiene. For a dental implant to be successful it needs to be planted into a mouth which has healthy bone and gum tissue, and plenty of it it.
However, good oral hygiene isn’t just a necessity for a person looking to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant. On the contrary it is something which each and everyone of us should be practising since it can impact on our overall general health. Let’s explain:
The mouth naturally contains bacteria and while the good guys are there to maintain the balance of your intestinal flora others such as staphylococcus and streptococcal are harmful. The healthier your mouth is then the less chance there is that harmful bacteria will travel to other parts of your body causing infection and making you ill.
Historical ways of maintaining oral hygiene
Ancient civilisations used to rely on natural remedies to keep their oral hygiene up to scratch. The Egyptians used myrrh and a mixture of other herbs. A couple of centuries later, a civilisation who lived in the Nile River Valley, the Nubians, drank beer as a means of easing pain from teeth that were infected. Crazy as this sounds it actually worked because the beer was made with grain that was contaminated with the same bacteria which produced tetracycline, an antibiotic.
Modern times
Today tooth decay is less of an issue because our water is treated with fluoride and toothpaste containing fluoride is readily available on supermarket shelves. Nowadays the most serious problem is gum disease. The irony of this is that if this particular infection attacked any other area of the body people would likely go straight to their doctor but instead most people ignore bleeding gums and tenderness, simply hoping it will go away. The sad reality is that the longer it is left untreated the more chance there is of it affecting other parts of the body.
Research has also shown that untreated inflammations in the mouth are a major contributor to numerous chronic illnesses including arthritis, heart attacks, blocked arteries, and even cancer. This inflammation is one of the many theories why chronic infections can spark systemic diseases and even worsen existing ones. The growth of bacteria in inflamed gums can enter the bloodstream from daily brushing and through the foods you eat.
If you’re seeking a dental implant in Richmond but your oral hygiene is poor then call Sheen Dental for a free consultation. We can assess the extent of the problem and help you improve your brushing and flossing techniques. Once we’ve got this problem sorted then we can look at moving forward with an implant. Don’t put your health and your smile at risk. Give us a call today on 020 8876 or 5277 or visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk for more information.