A lot of people are in the good habit of brushing and flossing their teeth daily – however, this is not the case for everyone. There are still many people in the UK who have a bad or non-existent oral hygiene routine, and this can lead to many problems in the long run.
At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we try to instil good oral habits to our patients from a young age. As such, we encourage our patients to bring their children to the dental clinic along with them and we also urge them not to miss their regular appointments with the dentist in W1.
Here are a few ways bad oral hygiene can harm your oral health and body – sometimes in major ways.
Bad breath
Most obviously, brushing and flossing your teeth daily prevents bad breath, since they help remove bacteria and plaque from your teeth, gums and tongue. Brushing and flossing your teeth consistently prevents bacteria from creating an odour when breaking down in your mouth. If you are unsure on how to clean your teeth properly, our dentist in W1 can show you some effective brushing and flossing techniques.
Gum disease and cavities
Unbridled plaque and food remains can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Plaque eats away at your tooth enamel, whereas bacteria infiltrate your gums and can cause serious infection leading to tooth loss.
Risk of heart disease
Studies have shown that there is a link between poor oral health, gum disease and heart disease. That’s because the bacteria causing inflammation, bleeding, and bone loss around teeth can also get into the bloodstream to the arteries. This can lead to restricted blood flow to the heart.
It’s never too late to fix your oral health
If you already had gum disease or you are more prone to cavities, you are likely to need to visit the dentist in W1 more frequently – about every 4 months or so. Other strategies include brushing and flossing your teeth daily, reducing the amount of sugar you consume and finding ways to remove bacteria from your mouth in-between meals (e.g.. chew sugarless gums or mints).