Poor oral hygiene can cause you to visit the dentist more often. However, new research suggests that poor oral hygiene can be the culprit to a number of major illnesses.
It can hurt your heart – Research has shown that people with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack. Although, scientists are not able to say why this is, they believe that some harmful bacteria enter your mouth and then makes its way to your heart.
Your memory could suffer – A study looked at 118 nuns and those who had fewer teeth were more likely to suffer from dementia. Scientists think that oral bacteria can spread from your mouth to your brain, through the cranial nerves.
It can hurt blood sugar – A study states that people with bad oral hygiene find it more difficult to regulate their blood sugar levels.
It could hurt your fertility – Researchers have found that women of childbearing age with gum disease have taken a lot longer to conceive, than those with good oral hygiene habits. They also found that pregnant mothers, who have bad oral hygiene, have a higher number of miscarriages.
May affect your breathing – If you have bad oral hygiene, you may find that you are more susceptible to respiratory infections and pneumonia. This may be because the bacteria are inhaled through the mouth into your lungs.