Not only do pearly whites help you feel great about yourself, good oral health can prevent bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease. Your mouth can be a reliable indicator of your overall health, and healthy teeth and gums can help protect you from serious problems like heart attack, stroke, diabetes and preterm labor. Early symptoms of chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS and diabetes can appear first in the mouth, so paying close attention to dental health can help you detect any potential problems.

The mouth is full of bacteria that feed on sugars from the food we eat, which creates acid that can attack the teeth, causing cracks and cavities that can quickly lead to decay. The bacteria, known as ‘plaque’, can build up and become harder to get rid of. If plaque isn’t cleaned away, it eventually hardens and becomes tartar, which can only be removed by professional cleaning. If left untreated, plaque and tartar will eventually cause gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis, which can lead to tooth decay and loss of teeth. Poor oral health has been significantly linked to many major diseases like respiratory diseases, kidney diseases, dementia, pneumonia, stomach ulcers, obesity and oral cancers. The best way to avoid problems like this is to conduct proper oral care.