Many oral diseases can influence health conditions outside your mouth and vice versa. The relationship between your mouth and the rest of your body is called the ‘mouth-body connection.’ In this video, kids will learn directly from a registered dental hygienist about some of the best ways they can take care of their teeth and mouth and why there is such a big connection between their mouth and the rest of their body.
Discover how dentists not only clean your teeth, but they also perform oral exams capable of finding one hundred twenty conditions or diseases inside or beyond the mouth, like checking the head and neck for oral cancers. Diabetes has much broader connections throughout the body such as dry mouth not creating enough saliva to wash out food debris in your mouth and causing gingivitis and cavities. This condition can also cause delayed wound healing and earlier teeth eruption. Dentists also palpate your mouth, face, and neck, on and around the tongue, lips, cheeks, thyroid, swallowing, and underneath your jaw bone to check for anything out of the ordinary that could be connected to bigger problems like oral cancer. Overall, bacteria in the mouth can spread to other areas of the body, including the heart and even go as far as creating blood clots and increasing susceptibility to strokes. For a graphic detailing more about the connection between the body and the mouth, refer to this page.
Keep these things in mind when caring for your teeth so that your mouth and body can be as healthy as possible.
Discussion Questions
What is the most important thing that a dentist or hygienist does during an oral exam?
How many conditions and diseases can be identified by doing an oral exam?
What are some ways to protect your mouth and overall health?