How Oral Health Impacts Your Overall Health
As a kid, I reluctantly brushed my teeth. I can remember giving my mother a super hard time about having to brush. I admit that there were occasions when I would put some toothpaste in my mouth, swirl it around, spit it out, and call it a night. It wasn't until my first cavity that I decided that the discomfort of having my mouth pried open for 45 minutes with the needle piercing my gums, the drilling of my tooth, and the hours of facial and lip paralysis from novocaine, were hands down less desirous than my daily teeth hygiene exercises. Yes, it is important to brush your teeth. However, oral hygiene should go beyond just brushing twice per day. Many of us harbor dangerous microbes, such as spirochetes, in our mouths and under the gums. Specifically, pockets can develop where the gum meets the teeth that can harbor bacteria and other microbes, which can be released into the bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body. It is well documented that gum disease is linked to