Approximately 45 percent of the U.S. population struggles with some type of chronic health challenge, according to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. As you might imagine, conditions ranging from heart disease to malnutrition can produce considerable financial and personal hardship. You may not realize, however, that your dental health (or lack thereof) can influence these conditions.

If you have always assumed that dental care does nothing more than protect your teeth and gums from painful problems, you should know that it can also help safeguard you against a variety of larger systemic health issues. Take a look at four key ways you can boost your general wellness through proper dental hygiene and treatment.

1. Dental Care Can Help Protect Your Heart

Oral health appears to play a major role in heart health, mainly through the control of bacteria that can cause or worsen cardiovascular conditions. As plaque and tartar accumulate on your teeth, bacteria gather to this food source and work their way down into the periodontal pockets and through tooth enamel, causing decay and infection.

Bacteria that reach the blood supply can travel through the blood vessels to the heart. If you already have a congenital heart problem or an artificial heart valve, the presence of this bacteria puts you at special risk for a dangerous infection called endocarditis. The same bacteria can inflame and harden your arteries, raising your stroke risk, according to WebMD.

Regular brushing and flossing can go a long way toward reducing these risks. However, you must also keep up a regular routine of dental exams and professional cleanings to get rid of tartar that home hygiene techniques can't remove.

2. Dental Care Can Reduce Your Diabetes Risk

Your dental hygiene and preventative care regimen may prove helpful in warding off type 2 diabetes, a condition in which elevated blood sugar damages nerves, organs, and blood vessels. Dentists have long known that diabetic patients have more trouble with gum disease than non-diabetic patients.

Research now seems to show that this connection goes both ways. It appears that chronic gum disease can raise your blood sugar levels. If you had no previous history of diabetes, this development could put you on the road toward this health problem. If you already have diabetes, gum disease may make it harder to manage.

The more care you take to keep your gums healthy, the more easily you can avoid diabetes or keep your diabetes under better control. Your dentist can take your condition into account when recommending specific preventative care strategies.

3. Dental Care Can Aid Digestion

The more teeth you retain throughout your life, and the less pain those teeth cause you, the more easily and thoroughly you can chew your food. This simple fact has profound implications for your systemic health, which depends largely on your ability to break up food and digest nutrients as efficiently as possible.

Your tooth alignment also plays a role in your digestive system's ability to do its job. Teeth that shift with age or because of lost adjacent teeth may develop a malocclusion (misalignment) that prevents top and bottom teeth from biting and grinding food properly.

To get the most out of your diet and nutrition, ask your dentist to address issues such as painful, infected, misaligned, or missing teeth. The proper treatment measures, from antibiotics or orthodontics to dental restorations, can help your whole body feel and function better.

4. Dental Care Can Support a Healthier Pregnancy

If you plan to start a family or already have a new baby on the way, bear in mind that the state of your dental health can affect your pregnancy in some unwelcome ways. Research indicates that the bacteria associated with periodontal disease can elevate risks for preeclampsia, premature birth, and low birth weight.

Rest assured that you can safely undergo dental examinations (including X-rays), cleanings, and treatments during pregnancy. Your dentist will take special precautions and alter your treatment plan as needed in response to other prenatal medications or treatments your obstetrician may prescribe.

University Dental P.A. can help you achieve optimal dental health as a cornerstone of optimal overall health and wellness. Contact our clinic today to learn more and schedule dental care.