By yourdentistindallas May 26, 2014 - 1:06am

It goes without saying that poor dental hygiene can cause a lot of health problems for the mouth. This includes cavities, gingivitis and other problems, but it may surprise you to learn that there are a whole host of other issues that may result from poor dental hygiene. Even more shocking, these illnesses and problems may not be overly apparent.

In order to understand what unusual issues may result from poor dental hygiene, read our tips to discover what problems you may face.

Heart Disease

It may be shocking to learn that poor dental hygiene may lead to problems with the heart, but there is some evidence that it just might. People with gum disease are almost twice as likely as to develop heart disease in the near future. According to some researchers, this is because some bacteria and plaque may leech into the bloodstream and cause issues.

Memory Issues

Again, this may be surprising, but poor dental hygiene may make people more prone to memory loss and dementia. If you have fewer teeth, it may allow more bacteria to enter the blood system through the cranial nerves.

Breathing Issues
Breathing in loads of bacteria is never a really good thing. Therefore, it is really advisable that you make your mouth as clean as possible. Your airways may become too inflamed and your risk of COPD and other breathing related issues may increase as a result. There have also been studies in regards to pneumonia and it is speculated that a bacterial pneumonia may be more prevalent in people with poor oral hygiene.

Your Blood Sugar May Suffer

Of course, diabetes may make you more susceptible to catching infection and this includes gum disease. This could make it harder for you to control your blood sugar.

You May Increase Your Risk of HPV

According to several studies, your risk of HPV may increase with poor dental hygiene, even if it may be a small independent factor of some sort. By some estimates, your risk of developing an oral HPV make be increased by over half. HPV can lead to the dreaded HPV related cancers, so it is extremely important that you do whatever it takes to limit your chances.

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is definitely nothing to scoff at. According to several studies, those with gum disease had nearly a 64 percent chance of developing pancreatic cancer. This could be the result of inflammation in the gums, which forces the body to create more reactive proteins. These types of proteins are indicative of a response to pancreatic cancer.

While having poor dental hygiene is nothing to scoff it, it may lead to a whole host of other issues which could be much more serious than a simple case of having a cavity. It is therefore extremely important to ensure that you practice good oral hygiene by making regular trips to the dentist, brushing your teeth regularly and most importantly, don’t forget to floss. While poor oral hygiene may play a small part in these diseases, it never hurts to lower your chances as much as possible.

This Article is provided by Dr. Ashlea Drakeford, A Professional Dentist in Dallas. Dr. Ashlea is married with Sheldon and she have a 7 years old twin boys.