Affects of Bad Habits on Oral Health

Your lifestyle habits affect your oral health and your oral health has a major impact on other systems in the body. For several years, I smoked cigarettes and drank several cups of coffee a day, and my teeth looked discolored. Smoking is particularly bad for your oral health: it not only turns your pearly whites a disgusting shade of yellow, but leaves you prone to gum infections such as gingivitis. Gingivitis causes your gums to become red, sensitive, and even bleed, and bacteria from the infection can enter your bloodstream and cause infections in other areas of the body. The same is true if you have any other kind of infection in the mouth. A friend of mine had a broken root canal that he left untreated, and this caused swelling in his jaw, as well as a stomach infection, due to the traveling of the bacteria. Although the broken root canal was not directly caused by a "bad habit", this story illustrates how important it is to have the good habit of maintaining oral health, getting regular checkups, and visiting a dentist if you think you may have an infection.

Another bad habit, which is actually considered a mental illness, is bulimia, or purposely vomiting after a meal in order to lose weight. The bile and acids from your stomach will wear away the enamel of your teeth, and can even cause them to fall out. With this disease, oral problems are only one of the side effects, and bulimia is something to be taken very seriously and treated by a qualified doctor.Drugs can play a big role in tooth decay and gum disease as well. I once was acquainted with a young woman who had had a cocaine addiction for many years, and this drug use had taken a tole on her teeth. Many of them had rotted away, and she was plagued with tooth and gum infections, and a great deal of pain. Even years after she had quit using cocaine, her oral health continued to cause problems in other parts of her body. She felt run down and tired most of the time, and was susceptible to colds and the flu. These issues spilled over into all aspects of her life: she was unable to maintain a job because of her health problems, and was often unable to find new employment because of the appearance of her mouth. Luckily, this story has a happy ending: she was finally able to get health insurance which approved her to be treated with antibiotics, and have all the bad teeth pulled and replaced with false ones. Now she has her strength and energy back, and can smile with confidence. Even though this story is a little gory, I included it to emphasize the detrimental effect that drugs can have on a person's oral health, their entire health, and their personal life.

Also, poor nutrition is a major player in bad teeth and gums. It is especially important that children receive proper amounts of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins, A, B, C, and D. Adults should not neglect getting this nutrients either. If you don't eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, at least take a vitamin and mineral supplement.

Finally, follow the instructions of your dentist (and probably your mother as well): brush your teeth thoroughly (most oral health care professionals recommend two minutes), and floss once a day. Make it a habit, but if you skip flossing a few times a week, it won't hurt. You know when you have neglected flossing for too long when you begin to smell a foul odor on your breath, or someone smells it for you - and you really don't want to let it get to that point! That indicates you are starting to get gingivitis. The solution is to brush and floss right away, and you will probably pull some pretty nasty-smelling things from between your teeth...but better in the trash than your mouth! After flossing, I recommend using an all-natural, alcohol-free mouthwash with a few drops of tea tree and eucalyptus oil (or mint oil) mixed in. Make sure you are using medical grade essential oils; you should buy these from a health food store rather than a place that sells candles and lotions. You know you are getting the proper thing when the price for each oil is different, since harvesting different plants come with varying costs. The tea tree oil will kill bacterial, and the mint will give you a fresh smell. Alcohol-based mouthwashes actually dry out your mouth, which can lead to more bad breath.

If you take anything away from this article, let it be the knowledge that your oral health affects your entire health, and it is not something to be neglected. With regular care and preventive maintenance, you will be overall a more healthy person with a greater quality of life.