Dental Dedication: Improve Your Oral Health

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30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your
Health
This article is part of the 30 Day Resolution Guide series. Each day a new tip will be added designed to help you take control of your health. For a complete list of the tips click HERE



By Dr. Mercola
It's unfortunate how many fail to fully appreciate the importance oral health has on their overall health. The fact of the matter is, the delicate balance of bacteria in your mouth is as important to your health as your gut microbiome. When certain bacteria become overabundant, various oral problems start to develop.
Periodontal disease, for example, which affects the soft tissues and bone, is initiated by an increase in Porphyromonas gingivalis, which impairs your immune response, while dental caries had been causally linked to Streptococcus mutans.1 Your oral health, in turn, impacts the rest of your body, and can have a significant impact on your disease risk.
Type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease are strongly connected, for example.2 Research also shows that failing to brush twice a day increases your risk of dementia by as much as 65 percent, compared to brushing three times a day, and good oral hygiene has been shown to lower your risk of pneumonia by about 40 percent.3
When bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease enter into your circulatory system, your liver releases C-reactive proteins, which have inflammatory effects. Inflammation, in turn, is known to be a disease-causing force leading to most chronic illness. For example, inflamed and diseased gums may raise your risk of a fatal heart attack by up to 10 times.
What's worse, according to Dr. Gerry Curatola, founder of Rejuvenation Dentistry, heart attacks related to gum disease are fatal 9 times out of 10. So, a major part of oral health is attending to your oral microbiome. If you've been lax about your oral health, make this the year you grab the proverbial bull by the horn and really...
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