Last Updated on 29th October 2020
If this past year has taught us anything, it’s just how important our health is, says Evesham dentist Richard Colebourne from Evesham Dental Health Team on Broadway Road.
The better our health, the more resilient we are at fighting illnesses and making a swift recovery. It appears to be those with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, people struggling to manage their weight and older people, who have been hardest hit by coronavirus, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Links have also been found between the virus and our oral health. In her article published in the British Dental Journal, Dr V. Samsoon presented her research on the link between poor oral health and severe complications from Covid-19.
Even though Covid-19 is a viral infection it is the presence of pathogenic bacteria (bad bacteria that cause disease) that is associated with severe complications with the virus, like pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome.
Healthy bacteria in our mouths
Our mouths include a healthy amount of bacteria, called microbiome, which normally can be exchanged between our mouth and our lungs. When we have poor oral health, pathogenic bacteria start to accumulate in our mouths and destroy that healthy balance. These bacteria can also
be breathed into our lungs.
One way these bacteria make us more vulnerable is by increasing our susceptibility to viral infections.
Also, patients with periodontal disease, a form of gum disease that is destroying the bone around the teeth, have a three times higher risk of developing diabetes, 20% increased risk of developing hypertension and 25% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Emergency care required
Many of the patients we treat with dental emergencies have not been for regular maintenance care. We always advise our patients from across Evesham, Pershore, Bidford, Stratford and the surrounding towns and villages to visit us at least once, preferably twice a year, so that we can spot any issues early, before they become painful or more costly treat.
Research dating back many years now has found that serious gum disease is linked to medical conditions, such as heart disease, bacterial lung infections, dementia, strokes and diabetes – underlying health conditions that have left people vulnerable and shielded during the Covid-19 outbreak.
This shows us that looking after our health is more important than ever – and our gums provide a good indication of our general health. After all, healthy gums reflect a healthy body.
A staggering 80 per cent of us suffer from gum disease at some point in our lives but with good, regular dental care and a dedicated twice-daily homecare routine the risks can be easily controlled.
What can I do?
- Brushing twice a day for about two minutes with fluoride toothpaste is the best thing you can do to keep your teeth and mouth healthy.
- Use interdental brushes to clean between your teeth and loosen any trapped food before you brush.
- Brush last thing at night and first thing before breakfast in the morning.
- Visit us as frequently as we recommend.
Well serviced mouths require less invasive treatment in the long term, which reduces the overall cost to you, lost work time, and potential pain and discomfort. So, contact us now to book your dental health review.
