Teeth hurt? They are likely killing you.

Until recently, most people were unaware of the seriousness of oral infections, which are caused by microorganisms in the oral cavity. And not only are most people unaware of this fact, they also don’t know that oral infections are the most common of all infections.

And that commonality does not make them any less dangerous.

If any cut or bruise on your skin became infected and started to swell and give off an unpleasant odor, you would have it seen to by a healthcare professional immediately for fear that it would spread. Yet when the same condition becomes evident in the mouth, it is often ignored. Unfortunately, too many people believe that tooth decay is just a normal occurrence and having it seen to by a dentist is usually painful.

So they put it off.

What they don’t realize it that all infections spread if left untreated. That is a fact. And these untreated oral infections, by causing oral lesions and a separation of the tooth from the gum, create a pathway for that infection to enter the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body.

What you need to know is even if you are eating a healthy diet, exercising and regularly monitoring your blood pressure, you could be dying and not even know it. Why? Because that oral infection has spread to your heart or liver or kidneys and is slowly destroying their ability to function.

In the middle of the last century, many middle-aged men died of heart failure. Usually due to smoking. However, a large number of those heart-attack victims didn’t smoke but did have serious oral infections.

So, what do you need to look for?

Xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, is one of the most common dental issues and is usually caused by a varied number of common medicines. It is also caused by an obstruction of the salivary gland. Saliva is your mouth’s first line of defense because salivas job is to kill bacteria.  If the flow of saliva is impeded or lessened by medications, your mouth will be left undefended and become a prime candidate for tooth decay. Other symptoms to watch out for are bad breath, discoloration of teeth, and trapped food particles. Trapped food particles are especially dangerous because that is where bacteria fester and generate oral infections.

One of the most efficient ways to eliminate that potential infection is to use an oral irrigator. An oral irrigator is a device that uses pressurized water streams to blast those hidden and trapped food particles from one’s mouth. By removing those bacterial breeding grounds, you eliminate the possibility of oral infection and the potential of it spreading and doing additional damage.

One inexpensive and highly effective oral irrigator is the Oral Breeze. Efficient and easy to use, you can maintain a healthy and germ-free mouth by using it after each brushing. You can learn more about the Oral Breeze HERE

If you don’t brush regularly, don’t use an effective mouthwash and don’t floss or oral irrigate, you are inviting health problems into your life. What’s more, you can easily pass it on to some unsuspecting friend of family member with something as simple as a kiss. Remember an oral infection is an infection, one just as dangerous as an infected cut or bruise.

Remember when you were a kid and you’d get a cut or a bruise and your mom would kiss it and make it better? She, of course, loved you and wanted to ease your discomfort, but what she was potentially doing was passing an oral infection into your bloodstream.

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

So how do you protect yourself and your family? The first thing to do is make sure that neither you nor your family members already have an oral infection. If one is present, then have that member visit your dentist to have it eliminated. Then once you and your family have infection free mouths, begin a regimen of brushing at least twice a day, oral irrigate to ensure all food particles are removed, then rinse with an effective fluoride mouthwash.

Remember infections cause inflammation, and inflammations weaken your body, damage your organs and inhibit its ability to heal.

Now that science is aware of just how dangerous oral infections can be, they are committed to making the public aware. Now that you are too, spread the word. Your mouth is the gateway to your body. Make sure its defenses are as strong as possible, because if bacteria are killed the moment it enters your mouth, the less chance you will contract a serious ailment that could require extensive antibiotic treatments and perhaps even surgery in order to eliminate it.

So there you have it. Want to stay healthy? Want to slow aging, stay strong longer? Want your body to maintain peak performance?  Start by having a healthy mouth.