{"id":226,"date":"2021-09-02T02:46:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T02:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/?p=226"},"modified":"2021-10-09T02:51:44","modified_gmt":"2021-10-09T02:51:44","slug":"dentist-stephens-city-immune-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stephenscitydental.com\/blog\/2021\/09\/02\/dentist-stephens-city-immune-health\/","title":{"rendered":"How Excellent Dental Health Supports a Strong Immune System"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Bacteria<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Keeping up excellent oral hygiene and seeing your dentist every six months for routine cleanings and checkups<\/a> is about much more than just keeping your pearly whites looking bright and gorgeous. Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body, and a lot of the time, the health of your smile reflects your overall wellbeing because of the link it has with your immune system. Read on to learn about how taking care of your smile plays a role in keeping your immune system strong!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Does Your Dental Health Affect Your Immune System?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t properly maintaining the health of your smile, whether it is from skipping your dental checkups, neglecting your oral hygiene, or snacking on too many sugary snacks, you will eventually end up with a buildup of bacteria in your mouth. When you eat meals throughout the day, some remnants get left between the teeth and along the gumline. If you don\u2019t brush and floss, food debris will remain and become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. You could even end up developing gingivitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When left without treatment, gingivitis can progress to a much more severe stage of periodontal disease called periodontitis. This is a serious gum infection that will require treatment from your dentist and some extra help from your immune system. Your body will attack the infection to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does Periodontitis Affect Your Overall Health?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your immune system\u2019s job is to protect your body from outside threats, and it will do everything it can to continue to do this. It will focus more on your mouth and gums and less on the other parts of your body. This is so it can prevent the spread of the infection. The immune system is incredible, but it can only do so much at one time. When centered in on fighting bacteria in your mouth, you will be more likely to develop infections in other areas of the body, which will ultimately be more difficult for your body to keep up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Can You Do for Your Smile to Keep Your Immune System Healthy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These are a handful of tips to help you keep your smile healthy and therefore maintain a fortified immune system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n