You know how you go to the Dentist for your mouth and the Doctor for the rest of your body? Does that make you feel like your mouth is a separate entity and not really that connected to your body? If so, then you’re not alone. Most of us missed the memo about the “oral-systemic connection” (mouth-body connection). Maybe you have read in a newspaper or magazine or even heard on the news that gingivitis affects your heart. Just how connected are they?
In the past decade studies have proven that they are VERY connected! So much so that a healthy mouth will actually increase your life expectancy by three to ten years!!! The mouth has the highest concentration of bacteria of anywhere in the whole body, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. These bacteria aren’t all bad. They start the process of digesting your food and actually have some very positive roles in your health. The problem comes when those bacteria don’t stay in the mouth and they get into the rest of your body.
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