Problems in your mouth may seem like just that…problems in your mouth. But they are so much more. When your teeth become unhealthy, they affect your bones and gum tissue and unhealthy gums impact your overall health. In fact, periodontal disease has been linked to systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

When an infection develops in the mouth, it not only affects the mouth and periodontium (the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth), but like any other infection…it can spread into other parts of the body. In fact, any infection in the body (including one in the mouth) produces C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which creates “an irritation to blood vessel walls that ultimately leads to artery narrowing.” And when a person’s arteries start getting smaller, the amount of blood flowing to the heart is impaired, which can result in cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke. Statistics report that patients with severe gum disease have been “shown to be twice as likely to have a fatal heart attack and three times as likely to have a stroke” as patients who are free from periodontal disease or problems.

Medical journals are more consistently reporting the impact of oral health on other health issues. In January of 2007, The Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported “a relationship between pancreatic cancer and periodontal disease.” And research continues to affirm that problems in the teeth and gums are not issues to be disregarded…because their overall impact can be huge.

Therefore, keeping your mouth, teeth, gums and jaw bone healthy are an important part of maintaining good overall health. In fact, even medical and dental insurance companies are recognizing the importance of good dental care. Some are even providing better periodontal treatment coverage in their policies. And, when patients have complex health problems, some health insurance companies are monitoring those patients to ensure that they are getting routine dental care as a part of their healthcare regimen.

The challenging part of this whole issue is that periodontal disease has few, if any, symptoms until it is in an advanced (infection) stage and bone loss (along with other overall health problems) is occurring. Research indicates that 80 percent of adults in this county have some stage of gum disease—much of it undetected. If any of the following signs are present, see your dentist right away because they could be a symptom of gum disease or of something else going on in your body and if left to manifest, could be the beginning of something serious.

• Red, swollen or tender gums
• Gums that have recessed or pulled away from your teeth
• Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
• Persistent bad breath
• Teeth that are loose or separating
• A change in the way your teeth fit together
• Pus between your teeth and gums

Yet periodontal disease can be prevented. To begin with, good daily oral hygiene habits that include brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day along with dental visits (that include a professional cleaning) at least once every six months can help prevent periodontal disease. Because of the lack of symptoms until damage is already being done, regular dental checkups are the best way to ensure that any form of periodontal disease is not present or for stopping it in the early stages if it does get started.

Along with a beautiful smile and healthy teeth and gums, there are now even more reasons to make sure that you take care of your oral health…a healthy mouth is a very important part of having a healthy body.

While visiting your dentist once every six months may seem like a waste of time unless you have issues that need attention, these visits can actually prevent problems from occurring and can actually help guard against health issues much bigger than a toothache.

To begin with, good daily oral hygiene habits are crucial in keeping your teeth and gums healthy and regular trips to your dentist can ensure that you are doing everything you can in the way of oral hygiene. If not, your dental hygienist can instruct you on the proper ways of brushing and flossing to keep the bacteria in plaque from doing any damage to either your teeth or your gums.

While proper brushing and flossing removes a large percentage of the plaque that is consistently present in your mouth, some of the plaque gets into places where it can only be removed by a professional dental cleaning. And plaque that is not removed, overtime turns into tartar (also known as calculus) that can build up on your teeth both above and below the gum line. It takes special dental tools in the hands of a dental professional to remove tartar buildup. And tartar that is not removed can contribute to periodontal disease (also known as gum disease).

During your six months’ checkup, your teeth will not only be professionally cleaned, they will also be examined for any issues that may be present—from the beginning of tooth decay to periodontal disease. Having your dentist periodically check for periodontal disease is the best to prevent it or stop it in its early stages because gum disease has very few, if any, symptoms before it is at an advanced stage where bone loss is occurring. And studies show that 80 percent of adults in this country have some stage of gum disease—most of it undetected.

While periodontal disease is an infection in the mouth and gums, it has far-reaching effects in that it has been linked to systemic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. So keeping your gums healthy is an important part of your oral health, it is also important for maintaining good overall health.

Oral cancer screenings are also performed during regular dental checkups and this process could save your life. Each year worldwide, more than 300,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed, and this disease causes more than 7,500 deaths annually.

During your dental appointment your dentist will also assess any treatments that might be necessary such as repairing a decaying tooth or performing scaling and root planing which is a non-surgical process for stopping gum disease in the early stages. Also, any current restorations that exist in your mouth such as fillings, veneers, inlay, onlays, crowns, implants, partials or dentures will be evaluated to ensure that they are strong and healthy and not causing any problems in your mouth.

Visiting your dentist at least every six months (more often if problems exist) will also save you money because problems that are found and treated in the early stages are much less costly than those that have not been found until they have developed into real issues.

Visiting your dentist at least twice a year should be high on your priority list simply because of the problems that these visits can prevent. Remember, a routine dental checkup can not only save your smile, your dental health and strain your pocketbook, it could also just possibly save your life.

Heartburn and acid reflux are common problems experienced by millions of people. There is a good chance that if you are reading this then you have or already do suffer from indigestion. It can be very painful and cause an enormous amount of discomfort, which makes finding a cure or remedy of great importance for many people. When it comes possible solutions, it can be difficult to choose the right one. There are a wide variety of drugs available on the market that can be used to treat the problem. This is great if you don’t mind using traditional and potentially harmful drugs, but what about alternative choices for people who aren’t interested in mainstream medicine? Luckily there are alternatives for those people who would prefer more natural remedies for acid reflux that aren’t potentially dangerous and hard on the body as some drugs can be. Curing indigestion naturally is much easier than you may think and it could be as simple as changing what you eat.

One of the common causes for many people is in what they eat. This might sound simple, but for some reason many people ignore this common cause. Foods that have been found to typically trigger acid reflux are citrus juices, sauces such as tomato sauce, spicy foods, chocolate, some fried foods and even coffee. Do you currently eat or consume large quantities of one or more of these kinds of foods? If you find you experience problems after eating any one of these foods, then the best remedy for you is to simply cut back on how much you consume or completely stop taking it. You might miss out on eating something you really like but you will no longer have to suffer from the discomfort and pain associated with heartburn.

If your diet isn’t a problem, then luckily there are other options available for someone looking to put an end to their heartburn. Other remedies that can help include the use of baking soda for temporary relief, drinking a large glass of water or eating a few pieces of apple. Baking soda is only a good short term solution and you should not use this on a frequent basis as it will upset the natural acid balance found in our bodies. You may want to try baking soda a few times, but if you notice that your indigestion is becoming a reoccurring problem, then you will need to consider other alternatives if you wish to cure the problem.

Water is another simple yet effective remedy. As soon as you begin to feel the onset of heartburn, quickly drink a big glass of water as this will help to stop the reflux. Eating a few slices of apple also seems to be a favorite as it appears to work for many people and it definitely can’t be bad to include some more fruit in your diet. You have nothing to lose and everything to try, so even if apple doesn’t solve the problem for you, the worst that can happen is that you had a little extra fruit for the day.