How Does Poor Oral Health Impact Your Overall Health? Here's How.

At any age, poor oral health can eventually lead to periodontal disease (gum disease), a chronic inflammatory disease which has been linked to a long list of inflammatory conditions including:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• stroke
• cancer
• respiratory diease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• rheumatoid arthritis
• osteoporosis

Approximately 75% of adults have some form of gum disease. Research suggests that it can be transferred to other s via saliva, so a simple kiss or just sharing a snack or even blowing on food can be enough to put your child or significant other at risk of transmission. 

Gum disease is often silent- progressing without symptoms - but warning signs may include swollen, red, or bleeding gums, mouth infections and tenderness, bad breath, and loose teeth. The good news is that gum disease can almost always be prevented, sometimes reversed. 

It's important for the whole family to commit to a good oral healthcare regimen, including regular dental checkups. The dentist will check for signs of this disease and recommend any necessary courses of action for treatment. As a dentist in Park Ridge, I never recommend unnecessary treatment for patients and I know any other good dentist will be the same way. 

If you are in Chicago, then contact Rubino Dentistry, a Chicagoland dentist, who performs general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, tooth crowns, and more. 

3 Risks of Poor Oral Maintenance

We schedule tuneups for our cars, we make sure to take our clothes to the dry cleaner, and we make sure to have our meetings. We do so many important things in life to make sure things function correctly and don't have mishaps.

However, what about our teeth? Why do some people skip dental checkups that are supposed to maintain their smile? Men are almost 50% less likely to maintain regular dental checkups than women, which means they are more likely to experience dental risks.

There are three risks men and women take when they practice poor oral care--

1. Periodontal disease- Men are 26% less likely to floss and are more likely to miss cleaning appointments even though poor oral care is linked to life-threatening diseases. 
2. Oral cancer- Tobacco users risk oral cancer. Men are twice as likely to be affected than women, yet they often skip checkups that include essential oral cancer screenings. 
3. Dental injuries- More often socialized to take physical risks, men are more likely to have facial trauma. Wearing a mouthguard is essential during body-contact sports. 

It is important that everyone-- male or female-- practices good oral health and has regular checkups to protect their precious smile! 

Don't skip your checkups. If you are in Chicagoland and hate waiting forever for your appointment to start, then visit Rubino Dentistry-- we rarely keep patients waiting.