口腔保健的重要性

口腔健康和身体健康息息相关，妥善照顾牙齿与牙龈的健康，不仅能让你微笑时展示雪白皓齿，更能提升整体健康，减低罹患严重疾病的风险，甚至能在老年保有好记忆。所谓“健康的身体来自健康的口腔”，越来越多的科学证据证明此言确实不虚。

根据调查，17%的成年人从不用牙线洁牙，25%的35-59岁成年人有蛀牙却不治疗。教导孩子正确的牙齿与牙龈保健知识永远不嫌早，孩童时期养成良好的健康习惯，对于成人后的健康有很大的助益。倘若你噎开始轻忽刷牙、用牙线清洁牙齿和定期看牙医等良好的口腔卫生习惯，千万别忘了你的行为是孩子学习模仿的对象。
据WebMD医疗网站报导，健康的牙齿和牙龈对于促进整体健康有6大益处：

（1）帮助糖尿病患稳定血糖值
大部份专家认为，糖尿病与口腔健康的相关性是双向互为因果，一方面糖尿病控制不良会提高牙龈疾病的风险，另一方面有牙龈疾病将使得血糖值更难控制。其它与糖尿病有关的口腔问题如蛀牙、口干燥病、感染真菌如口腔念珠菌病(鹅口疮)和牙科手术后复原速度缓慢。糖尿病患者若能维护口腔健康，降低罹患牙龈炎的风险，便能协助控制血糖值。
糖尿病患抵抗感染的能力较差，牙龈感染可能导致严重的牙龈疾病。自我检查口腔时若发现发炎或出血症状，应立即到牙科就诊。专家建议，每6个月或甚至每3-4个月就应到牙科进行专业洗牙。同时必须让牙科医师知道你是糖尿病患，以及你目前服用的处方和非处方药。如果牙龈问题持续恶化，就必须找牙周病专科医师。

（2）可能减少心脏病风险
美国牙周病学会指出，相较于没有牙周病的人，牙周病患者罹患冠状动脉疾病的机率高一倍。此外口腔细菌附着在冠状动脉的脂肪斑，形成血液凝块引发心脏病。专家们虽然还不能明确指出牙龈疾病与这些严重疾病之间的因果关系，但是诸多研究显示，牙龈疾病引发的慢性炎症一直和心脏病、血管堵塞和中风等心血管疾病有关连性。即便是一般的口腔问题也可能提高心脏病的风险。这些研究报告也指明，维持口腔健康对于维护人体的全面性健康有助益。

（3）提升自尊与自信
蛀牙与口腔疾病不只影响牙齿的美观，还会造成口臭，进而影响自信、自我形象与自尊心。美国牙周病学会调查，至少23%的30-54岁妇女和44%的55岁以上妇女有严重的牙龈疾病或牙周病，这是造成牙齿脱落的主要原因。除了不美观外，一旦牙周细菌进入血液中，可能引起慢性发炎。青春期、怀孕期和更年期妇女更应注意牙龈健康，由于荷尔蒙改变可能导致牙龈疾病快速发展，因此牙周病医师史耐德(David Schneider)建议妇女每天要记得以牙线洁牙。

（4）降低早产风险
妇女在怀孕期间牙龈发炎的机率增加。有些研究甚至认为早产儿和新生儿体重过轻都与怀孕期间的牙龈疾病有关。虽然并非所有的研究都能提出具体证据支持以上的论点，但是怀孕过程中最好还是保持口腔健康，而且已有研究指出，妇女若能提早治疗牙龈疾病和改善口腔卫生，可以降低早产的风险。
倘若你已怀孕，请在你的产前护理项目中加入定期看牙医或牙周病医师。对于新手父母来说，维持口腔健康就是在身体力行地成为宝宝的最佳榜样。

（5）维持记忆力
根据神经病学、神经外科与精神病学期刊(Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry)的一项研究显示，相较于牙龈和牙齿健康的成年人，患有牙龈炎(牙龈肿胀、出血)的成年人在记忆力和其它认知功能的测试上表现较差。日常生活中每日都会使用的字词延宕回忆(delayed verbal recall)和减法这两种技能，牙龈炎患者在测验中表现较差。

（6）降低感染和发炎的风险
口腔不健康可能引起人体其它部位的感染。研究显示，口腔卫生不良可能引发老年人的肺炎。口腔内的细菌可能跑到肺部，引起肺部感染或导致肺部健康情况日益恶化。其它研究发现牙龈疾病和类风湿性关节炎之间的关连，类风湿性关节炎是一种引发关节发炎的自体免疫性疾病。专家认为，牙龈炎和类风湿性关节炎对结缔组织的损伤是相似的。
所以均衡饮食、定期检查牙齿和保持口腔卫生便能减少蛀牙，降低罹患牙龈疾病的风险。每日至少刷牙两次，使用牙线洁牙一次。此外使用抗菌漱口水或牙膏能减少口腔内引起牙龈炎的细菌。

文章取自 pro oral博皓

WHY ARE REGULAR DENTAL VISITS IMPORTANT?

Regular dental visits are important because they help keep your teeth and gums healthy. You should have a regular dental visit at least every 6 months.

What happens at your visit?

There are 2 parts to a regular dental visit. One part is the check-up. The other is the cleaning.

The check-up

Your dental professional will check for cavities and to see if there is plaque or tartar on your teeth. Plaque is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria. If it is not removed, it can harden and become tartar. You cannot remove tartar with brushing and flossing. If plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, they can cause oral diseases.

Next, your gums will be checked. This will be done with a special tool to measure the spaces between your teeth and gums. With healthy gums, the spaces are shallow. When people have gum disease, the spaces may become deeper.

The check-up should also include your tongue, throat, face, head, and neck. This is to look for any signs of trouble, swelling, or cancer.

The cleaning

Brushing and flossing help clean the plaque from your teeth, but you can’t remove tartar at home. During the cleaning, your dental professional will use special tools to remove tartar. This is called scaling.

After your teeth are scaled, they may be polished. In most cases, a gritty paste is used for this. It helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth.

The final step is flossing. Your dental professional will use floss to make sure the areas between your teeth are clean.

What you should do between visits

Be sure to take care of your teeth and gums between regular dental visits. Plaque is always forming on your teeth, but you can get rid of it by brushing and flossing regularly. Here are some tips for good oral care at home.

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Be sure to use a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
• Floss at least once a day.
• Use a mouth rinse to help get rid of plaque bacteria. This will also help to freshen breath.

Quick facts about regular dental visits

• Regular dental visits are important because they help to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
• There are two parts to a regular dental visit:
  – The check-up
  – The cleaning
• During the check-up, your dental professional will check your overall oral health for any trouble areas.
• During the cleaning, your dental professional will remove any plaque and tartar buildup and may polish your teeth.
• You should have a regular dental visit at least twice a year.