Can Bad Oral Health Affect Your Immune System?

Wondering how to boost your immune system? One of the best ways to make sure your immune system is at its best is to take proper care of your teeth. An unhealthy mouth leads to more strain on your immune system, while caring for your mouth properly will help boost its performance. Learn more below in this blog from Buckwalter Dental Care.

How Does Bad Oral Health Negatively Affect My Immune System? 

It’s actually quite simple. Your immune system has a limited number of immune cells that can be used to fight back against infections from viruses and bacteria. When these resources are stretched too thinly, your immune system will become less effective and you may be more prone to getting sick.

Poor oral health can be a major contributing factor to this. Your mouth is full of billions of bacteria. If left unchecked, they will eat food particles, excrete acid that decays your teeth, and attempt to infect your gums.

When the bacteria in your mouth attempt to infect the gums, they will become swollen and inflamed as immune cells rush to fight back. Over time, this condition can worsen into gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease.

If your immune cells have to fight back against bacteria in your mouth, that means there are less of them to handle other health issues and fight back against other viruses and bacteria throughout your body, leading to a weaker overall immune response.

Maintaining Proper Oral Health Helps Boost Your Immune System 

So, improper oral hygiene can weaken your immune system. How can you boost it? Take these simple steps to maintain your oral health.

• Brush properly – Make sure you brush at least twice per day for two minutes. Ideally, you should brush in the morning when you wake up, and at night before you go to bed. This will remove the most bacteria from your mouth.
  
• Floss once per day – You should floss at least once per day to remove bacteria and food debris from between your teeth. Brushing alone only removes about 60% of bacteria and food, so it’s not enough to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
  
• Consider using mouthwash – Antibacterial mouthwash is a great addition to your dental care routine. It shouldn’t replace brushing or flossing, but it can help kill bacteria and keep your mouth healthy when it’s not practical to brush your teeth, such as after lunch.
  
• Get regular teeth cleanings from a dentist – Regular, six-month teeth cleanings from a dentist like Dr. Joel Darrah will remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria from your mouth, and ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy.

If you follow these simple steps, your teeth and gums will stay strong and healthy, and your immune system will not have to work as hard to keep them that way, resulting in a stronger overall immune response.

Get The Dental Care You Need To Keep Your Immune System Strong! 

We highly recommend that you implement the above tips to keep your mouth healthy. And if you are overdue for a teeth cleaning in Bluffton, Dr. Darrah is here to help. At Buckwalter Dental Care, we’re always accepting new patients. Contact us online or give us a call at (843) 815-3232 to make your appointment, and get the preventive care you need for better oral health.