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Importance of Oral Hygiene for Overall Health

Published On: 18 Jul, 2024 12:37 PM | Updated On: 31 Jul, 2024 12:02 PM

Importance of Oral Hygiene for Overall Health

Good oral health is essential for maintaining overall well-being.

Good oral health helps in

  • Clear Communication:
  • Healthy teeth and gums support effective speech.
  • Adequate Nutrition and Taste:
  • Proper chewing and swallowing are crucial for enjoying diverse foods.
  • Pleasant Facial Expressions:
  • A healthy smile helps convey emotions.

Oral Hygiene has connections with Systemic Diseases

Bad Oral Hygiene adversely affects overall health

  • Heart Disease:
  • Poor oral health is linked to increased cardiovascular risk.
  • Mental Health:
  • Poor oral health has associations with Alzheimer's, depression, and memory loss.
  • Diabetes:
  • Diabetes and gum disease have a bidirectional relationship, with diabetes increasing the risk of gum disease, which, in turn, affects blood sugar control.
  • Chronic Pain:
  • Facial pain has widespread effects on the body.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis:
  • Periodontal disease has strong associations with rheumatoid arthritis.

Do you know that gargling with Betadine can boost your Oral Health?

Antiseptic 

Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) is a widely recognized antiseptic and effectively manages upper airway infections and oral complications.

    Reduces microbes:

    PVP-I efficiently reduces microbial concentrations for at least four hours and is effective against oral bacteria, viruses (common cold, influenza, HIV, SARS-CoV, swine influenza), and fungi

    Improves Gum Health:

    Benefits people with gum infections by making their gums healthier.

    Safe to use:

    Short-term use does not cause any irritation inside the mouth; thus, it is safe and effective.

    Regular Gargling:

    Helps prevent and treat Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) and reduce symptoms like cough, sore throat, runny nose, etc.

    Before any Dental Procedure:

    Rinsing PVP-I before any dental procedure is recommended as it lowers oral bacterial burden, especially in patients at risk of bacterial endocarditis.


    Source-
    1. NIH[Internet]. Oral hygiene. Cited on: 5oct 2023; available from: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/oral-hygiene.
    2. WHO[Internet]. Oral Health. Cited on: 5oct 2023; available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/oral-health.
    3. Peck CC. Putting the Mouth into Health: The Importance of Oral Health for General Health. In: Sasaki K, Suzuki O, Takahashi N. (eds) Interface Oral Health Science 2016. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1560-1_7
    4. Kanagalingam J, Feliciano R, Hah JH, Labib H, Le TA, Lin JC. Practical use of povidone-iodine antiseptic in the maintenance of oral health and in the prevention and treatment of common oropharyngeal infections. Int J Clin Pract. 2015 Nov;69(11):1247-56. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.12707. Epub 2015 Aug 6. PMID: 26249761;PMCID: PMC6767541.
    5. Amtha R, Kanagalingam J. Povidone-iodine in dental and oral health: A narrative review. J Int Oral Health 2020;12:407-12

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