When you visit a family dentistry provider, you're doing more than maintaining a beautiful smile. You're also protecting your body from a number of diseases and detrimental health conditions. Your mouth is an important part of your body, so healthy teeth and gums protect the system as a whole, while oral infections and tooth decay can harm it.

Teeth & Diet

To stay healthy, your body needs a varied diet of nutrient-rich foods. Many of the fruits and vegetables that are best for you are crunchy and fibrous, requiring a lot of chewing to eat. If you have tooth decay or inflamed gums, this may be painful or even impossible. Consequently, you may end up avoiding the healthiest foods recommended by doctors and family dentistry providers alike.

Gum Disease & Arthritis

Bacteria from gum disease may increase the risk of individuals developing rheumatoid arthritis. The conditions tend to appear side-by-side, and while researchers once thought that arthritis impacted patients' ability to perform oral hygiene, causing the disease, they now believe there is more interplay between the two conditions. Inflammation in response to bacteria is the likely culprit, and treating gum disease may improve arthritis symptoms.

Gum Disease & Heart Disease

While research is ongoing into the exact mechanism which causes it, there is a strong correlation between gum disease and heart disease. The currently accepted theory is that when the gums are infected, bacteria from that infection can enter the bloodstream and contribute to the formation of arterial plaques and cause inflammation elsewhere in the body. Similar bacteria have been found in both locations, supporting this theory.

If you need a family dentistry provider in Cincinnati, OH, choose Kemper Pond Dental. Serving patients throughout Hamilton County, they have more than 20 years of experience providing high-quality family dentistry services, including everything from basic dental checkups to root canal therapy. To offer the most up-to-date treatments like dental implants, they are committed to ongoing education in their field. To schedule an appointment call (513) 531-4069, or view their services online.