5 Ways Your Teeth Affect Your Wellness As A Woman
As a woman, your teeth play a significant role in your overall wellness. Often more profoundly than you might realise. If you have poor oral health, such as tooth decay or gum disease, then it can have knock-on effects elsewhere. The solution is, of course, good oral hygiene and a healthy diet.
Are there ways that your oral health can impact your overall health as a woman?
Emotional effects
Interestingly, one of the biggest ways that your teeth can affect your health is through your emotions. If you have tooth loss, visible gum recession, or halitosis, then it can make it more challenging to engage in social interactions and have high self-esteem. Numerous studies show a link between depression and periodontal disease scores in a lot of women. That's why a healthy mouth is so critical for better confidence.
This is one of the reasons why dental implants have become so popular. These prosthetics essentially allow women to replace two teeth in their entirety, restoring function as well as how they look.
Systemic health effects
Chronic aura infections like periodontitis can also have systemic health effects. They can create inflammation that gets into the bloodstream and affects/damages other parts of the body. For example, researchers have now associated periodontitis with heart disease and cardiovascular risks. This is because people with the condition are more likely to have inflammatory markers in their bloodstream. That leads to the formation of plaques and atherosclerosis. Similarly, inflammation originating from the mouth can lead to diabetes complications. Diabetics depend on low inflammation in order to improve insulin sensitivity over time, but inflammatory cytokines being released because of oral infections can make this worse for muscle tissue around the body.
There are also potential mood impacts, for example, women with periodontitis are more likely to score highly on depressive mood scores.
Menopause and bone health risks
Teeth can also affect women through other channels, especially in the context of declining estrogen post-menopause. When this happens, it can lead to reduced bone density in the jaw, leading to receding gums, jawbone loss, and tooth loss. The best way to counter this is to maintain good oral health and maintain jaw usage. If there are missing teeth, these should be replaced so that you can use your jaw and preserve the tissue for as long as possible.
Pregnancy gingivitis
Some women also experience so-called pregnancy gingivitis, which affects around two-thirds to three-quarters of women and can sometimes lead to severe periodontitis. This condition is believed to result from pregnancy hormones, which increase the risk of gum disease. When this happens, the risk of things like low birth weight and preterm birth can increase significantly. Poor oral health can transmit bacteria to babies, which can impact their health.
Increased vulnerability
Finally, many women experience increased vulnerability when they have issues with their teeth. For example, bleeding, swollen gums, or inflamed gums become more likely during birth control or pregnancy. These issues can also become worse during the menstrual cycle.
