Did you know? Oral health affects your immune system

The work of our immune system is to battle against germs, infections, and viruses like COVID-19. Hence maintaining your immune system is an essential thing to keep your body in a healthy way.

You would have known that your mouth is the gateway for your body. Keeping it unhygienic may result in the entry of germs and bacteria into your bloodstream and respiratory system. In this global pandemic, it is important to maintain your immune system healthy and functioning properly.

Gum disease and its effects on the immune system

Not following oral hygiene habits properly like brushing, flossing, and regular professional dental cleaning converts food particles in your mouth into plaques (a bacterial film). Leaving it again without any care results in gingivitis which is an early form of gum disease. If you have gingivitis, you can notice symptoms like bleeding gums when brushing and eating hard foods. The second stage of gingivitis is periodontitis (a severe gum disease) which can be treated only by a dental hygienist or dentist.

Moreover, periodontitis caused by the bacterial attack not only affects gums but also damages the underlying bones that hold the teeth in place.

The work of our immune system is to fight against bacteria that infect our body. People who are healthy do not have any problem with mild infections, because their immune system does the work of eliminating bad bacteria. But think of an unhealthy person, the immune system fails and disease occurs easily.

Gum diseases are such an example that overloads your immune system and requires treatment from dental health experts to control disease and inflammation.

How a mouth infection affects your body?

Periodontal diseases and gingivitis are inflammatory diseases that occur due to the excess of bacteria in the mouth. When your gums become inflamed and red, the immune system focuses on attacking the bacteria that causes inflammation. The biggest enemies of our immune system are these bacteria which spoils the germ-killing capabilities.

Your immune system loses its focus on other body parts by focusing only on your mouth. That is why keeping your mouth healthy without any infection is important to allow your immune system to focus its efforts on other body parts.

Tips to keep your immune system strong:

Reduce stress

Get adequate sleep

Exercise regularly

Brush your teeth regularly

Eat healthily

Floss to eliminate hidden bacteria

Avoid sugary foods

Avoid acidic drinks

Limit smoking and drinking

Oral health affects overall health

Normally, bacteria from the mouth don’t enter your bloodstream unless you allow them. If you keep checking your mouth regularly bacteria won’t be allowed to enter your bloodstream. This also helps to reduce the risk of gum disease and infection. Thus, brush your teeth, floss, and have dental checkups regularly to keep gum disease at bay.

Have any queries about the link between oral health & immune system? Ask us in the comment or contact our dentists here.