Central element of general health, the mouth must be maintained with care. Proper hygiene and oral health not only offer the joys of a beautiful smile and the enjoyment of good flavors, but they also keep certain diseases and disorders at bay.
Many have this unfortunate tendency to forget that the mouth… is an element of the body that must be taken care of, just like your heart, your eyes or your lungs. Extremely closely linked to the general health of the body, the mouth is the home of many disorders, infections and various diseases. A neglected oral health is a weakened general health.
The mouth and its flora: a world of bacteria and viruses
The mouth is a complex place that is made up of a multitude of elements, all as useful as each other. Composed of what specialists call “oral flora”, the mouth is a ” small functional world of bacteria, viruses and fungi », according to Doctor Bruno Donatini, gastroenterologist, hepatologist, immunologist and author of the book “The mouth, mirror of your health”published by Flammarion editions.
” Under ideal conditions, all this little world present in the mouth works optimally. The microbiota is rich and balanced (we speak of eubiosis); and commensal bacteria are present on all surfaces of the mouth, leaving little room for the development of pathogenic bacteria. This is the idyllic setting. In reality, the factors of imbalance (dysbiosis) are numerous “recalls the specialist.
An unbalanced oral flora weakens the body
As you will have understood, preserving your mouth and the ecosystem of which it is composed is essential and necessary to ensure good general health. In the slideshow below, find the 7 enemies of your mouth!
The information is not new: Sugar, especially when consumed outside of meals, is the first enemy of our teeth, and therefore of our oral flora “, explains Doctor Bruno Donatini, gastroenterologist, hepatologist, immunologist and author of the book “The mouth, mirror of your health”, published by Flammarion editions. Conducive to the formation of cavities, sugar not only damages the teeth, but also causes inflammation of the gums.
The mouthwashes generally found on the market destroy the oral flora indiscriminately and impoverish diversity “, explains the gastroenterologist. By destroying too many bacteriaindustrial mouthwashes considerably destabilize the oral flora and can be the cause of the appearance of mycoses.
If the harmful effects of tobacco on the body and general health are no longer to be proven, it is nonetheless useful to remember the consequences on the oral flora, the first entry point for inhaled smoke. ” Smoking attacks the oral cavity due to the dust emitted, tar, toxic gases (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocyanic acid, ammonia), heavy metals and some heat releasedwho dries the mucous membranes “says the specialist.
Several drugs, by their composition, can negatively affect the mouth and its flora. ” All drugs that decrease gastric emptying and thus cause gastroesophageal reflux promote cavities and periodontal disease. These include antidepressants, anxiolytics, anti-epileptics, antihistamines, antitussives, antiasthmatics, drugs against urinary incontinence “says the specialist. In addition, antibiotics also exert a particularly destructive influence on the oral flora.
See the rest of the slideshow
Essential oils, in the case of oral and nasal usecan greatly disturb the balance of the oral flora and weaken the mucous membranes. “ The use of essential oils must be adapted to the flora and restricted to extremely low doses: around one-thirtieth of a drop per day “, advises Doctor Bruno Donatini, before adding:” A single week of treatment with several drops per day can permanently destroy a mucous membrane and a high flora (oral and gastroduodenal) “.
While the balance of oral flora directly depends on the general hygiene given to the teeth andgums, certain behaviors can greatly affect the mouth and its general health. “ The teeth and all interdental recesses must be carefully cleared of the smallest debris by careful washing. It is also necessary take care of your mucous membranesand take care not to traumatize them with gestures which, if they seem banal and without danger to us, can turn out to be harmful “recalls the specialist. Among the behaviors to avoid are the fact of undoing knots with his teeth, tearing tape with his mouth, holding screws between his teeth or biting his fingernails.
The mouth, a central element in the transmission and reception of certain viruses, “ via microdroplets of saliva or hands brought to the mouth », is truly sensitized by these infectious attacks from outside. The mucous membranes are then weakened.
Leave a Comment