Your mouth is a gateway to your body. There are more bacteria living in your mouth than there are people on Earth. Most of the bacteria are harmless, but if you ignore your oral health, harmful bacteria called plaque can grow. Plaque is an acidic sticky substance that can lead to a gum disease called gingivitis and tooth cavities. The first sign of gingivitis is bleeding and inflamed gums. Don’t stress over plaque too much.
There are a few things you can do to remove the plaque:
• Brush your teeth 2-3 times a day and floss once daily. Try to brush after every meal or at least rinse your mouth with water. The teeth hold 20 percent of your oral bacteria. When brushing your teeth it’s important to brush your tongue and rinse your mouth.
• Choose healthy snacks like fruit and vegetables over sugary candies and sodas. High fiber fruits (apples, bananas, avocados, and berries) and vegetables (carrots and broccoli) not only help your overall health but they also stimulate saliva flow, which helps fight those bad bacteria.
• Avoid tobacco of all kinds, even smokeless tobacco, which is known to increase the risk of gum disease and oral cancers.
• Rinse your mouth after drinking coffee and colored drinks. This will help minimize the stains on your teeth.
Taking good care of your teeth is important to avoid toothaches and tooth loss. Additionally, there is a connection between oral health and your body’s health.
The bacteria in your mouth can damage other parts of your body by traveling through your blood stream. Furthermore, research shows that the harmful bacteria plays a role in heart disease and stroke.
There is also some evidence that tooth loss before age 35 may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
