10 Weird Health Problems Caused By Bad Teeth

If you’re someone who kind of ignores the quality of their dental health, this article is for you.

It can often seem like slacking on your dental routines is fine because, after all, they’re just your teeth and you can whiten them later! That is the wrong way to think for a number of reasons, the main one being that poor dental hygiene can actually lead to a number of life-altering illnesses.

Many of these illnesses aren’t what you think either, mainly relating to things that have nothing to do with your teeth at all. Or, so you thought.

Read on to understand 10 health problems caused by bad teeth.

10 Unusual Health Problems Caused by Bad Teeth

Buckle up, because these things may force you to reconsider your relationship with your teeth.

1. Dementia

This one will come from a line of gum infections, but it is certainly a reality. When your gums become inflamed with an infection, they can release substances that will contribute to the loss of brain cells and decreased memory.

These factors can lead to early dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, usually after a bad case of gingivitis spreads out of the infected area and moves through nerve channels and a person’s bloodstream.

2. Cardiovascular Issues

Again, when your gums are infected with bacteria and disease, that bacteria has a potential to move into your bloodstream. This builds up plaque in your arteries, restricting your body’s ability to function properly.

Some illnesses could include atherosclerosis, heart attacks, hypertension, and stroke. Many of these conditions are fatal, so don’t take these ideas lightly.

3. Diabetes

This is more serious for those who already have diabetes, leading to unruly blood sugar levels. Infected comes can lead to diseases that will make your blood sugar more difficult to control, sometimes contributing to the development of diabetes.

There may be a correlation between unhealthy foods, poor gum health, and the development of diabetes. One thing is for sure, though, and that is the fact that gum disease has an effect on blood sugar levels. This happens because the inflammation involved in gingivitis extends to the rest of the body, inhibiting your body’s ability to control blood sugar.

Those with diabetes already have difficulty controlling their sugar levels because of their lack of healthy levels of insulin, which is the hormone that manages the body’s blood sugar.

4. Gum Disease

Slacking on your nightly and morning routines for extended periods of times can lead to the development of excessive plaque and tartar. This can also happen if you’ve avoided the dentist for extended periods of time.

These developments can actually lead to the development of gum disease which leaves irreparable damages to the structure of your jawbone, your gums, and even the quality of your teeth.

5. Oral Cancer

Poor oral health, typically instigated by the use of tobacco products, can lead to the development of oral cancer as well. The risk is significantly higher for men over 40 years old, and around 15% of those who develop cancer of the mouth, throat, and tongue will die from their illness.

These illnesses are typically identified by dentists performing check-ups. Get yourself checked as soon as you can if you’ve been slacking on your dental check-ups!

6. Respiratory Infection

Bacteria that develops in infected gums comes can be breathed into the lungs, leading to complications. Additionally, the bacteria can make its way through the bloodstream into the lungs. This can lead to respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, COPD, and bronchitis.

When the bacteria is present, you are regularly breathing it into your body. This bacteria can fall off of decaying teeth as well.

7. Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction can come from a common oral disease know as CPD. Chronic Periodontal Disease occurs when a person’s teeth pull away from their gums, forming a pocket in-between that allows bacteria to develop. This bacteria can then spread to the bones of your teeth, also entering your bloodstream, causing inflamed blood vessels.

This inflation can lead to the constriction of blood, making erections extremely difficult or impossible to get and maintain.

8. Rheumatoid Arthritis

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society stated that people who had gum disease were four times as likely to develop Rheumatoid Arthritis. Inflammation is the common thread, and the inflammation involved in gingivitis can lead to inflammation throughout one’s entire body.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a life-altering, debilitation disease, and can be significantly combatted by the practice of good oral hygiene.

9. Heart Disease

Heart disease has shown to go along with gum disease. These results, while clear, are not fully understood. Research shows that over ninety percent of those with heart disease have some form of gum disease, while only roughly seventy percent of those without heart disease have gum disease.

There are a number of risk factors for both forms of disease in common, leading to some murky research results. These factors are smoking, poor eating habits, being overweight, and lack of exercise. Some research has shown that having periodontitis has a strong correlation with developing heart disease.

10. Complications With Pregnancy

There is enough research to infer that any kind of infection or inflammation can contribute to a baby’s prenatal development. Infection and inflammation are two qualities directly associated with gum disease, leading researchers to look into the correlation between pregnancy complications and poor oral health.

Issues being looked into are lung issues, heart problems, and mental development. These risks are compounded by the fact that women are more susceptible to gum disease while pregnant due to the hormonal changes involved in pregnancy.

How to Manage Your Oral Health

There are a number of things that people do regularly without understanding the oral complications that their actions may have. There is a common conception that your oral hygiene will not have a significant impact on the rest of your body, but this is simply not true. In fact, aside from avoiding the illnesses listed above, there might even be a correlation between oral health and longevity.

Taking care of your oral health is not overly difficult, and ultimately resides on the idea that you can set a ritual for yourself in the morning and at night. There are, however, a number of other things that contribute to poor oral health.

Additionally, there are a number of prevention methods that promote good oral health. Things like Invisalign for teens, braces, and regular checkups are essential in today’s world.

Quit Smoking!

Smoking is the source of a large number of health issues, being the most preventable cause of death in humans. Quitting smoking is also one of the lead contributors to gum and tooth complications. In fact, smoking increases your risk of gum disease by three times.

A huge reason for this is that a person’s blood vessels are more constricted after smoking, leading the gum’s ability to fight off infection to decline significantly.

Break Out the Floss, Please

Flossing is an ancient annoyance that people tend to skirt. You may want to change that habit, though, because it turns out that flossing is one of the most important things you can do to promote good oral hygiene. Flossing is your main defense against all of the creepy crawlies that find their way into your gums and bloodstream.

Plaque, the archenemy of the tooth, causes irritation, cavities, acid buildup, and gum disease. Brushing your teeth can only account for the fronts and backs of your teeth, while flossing gets in-between to take care of the bacteria there. Each tooth only has four surfaces, the toothbrush covering two of them.

That means that literally have of your teeth are not getting cleaned if you don’t floss. Not to mention, between the teeth is where the bacteria tends to sit and develop, entering into your gums and bloodstream.

Watch What You Eat

The occasional treat never hurt anyone, but a constant stream of sugary foods can do some significant damage to the quality of your teeth. Sugars and acids are two of the main contributors to plaque. You know all of those pesky diseases listed above?

Yeah, most of those are a result of plaque. Combat a number of illnesses by starting upstream: limit the amount of sugary, acidy foods that are present in your regular diet. Plaque aside, acidy foods can significantly weaken the enamel on your teeth, leading to sensitive and often discolored teeth.

Some acidic foods to watch out for are things like alcohol and coffee, and large amounts of lemon and lime, oranges, and pickles. Bacteria in your mouth corresponds with sugars to form acids, which are very detrimental to oral health.

Acids work to erode and harm cavities, which, as many people know, aren’t always fun to have filled. The key is that you be mindful of what you eat and put into your mouth. Be kind to your mouth, and it’s sure to be kind right back!

What Else Didn’t You Know?

Surprised by the list of health problems caused by bad teeth? Think of what else you’re unaware of.

If you’re interested in finding out more about strange facts, we’ve got everything you need!

Weirdomatic is the place where all weird things come to life through the amazing world of photographs – a corner of our wild imagination or the whimsical face of the reality?