In the first of these articles (This Medical Conditions Can Affect Oral Health) related to medical conditions and its repercussions to oral health, we mentioned some medical conditions that make people more likely to develop some oral complication and as well the medications and treatments to fight this conditions, which have side effects prejudicial to the good oral health.
Severe eating disorders as bulimia and anorexia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS & STDS and Cancer were the first conditions explained in the previous article. For learning more about other medical conditions that affect the oral good oral health, keep reading this article.
–Kidney Disease: the main functions of the kidneys in the body are to remove waste, extra water and blood. The kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are damaged and stop performing its usual functions, causing waste product and fluid to build up in the body.
The kidney disease is a serious condition and without the right treatment, the damage can get worse until the kidneys could finally stop working. Some of the symptoms of this condition are the weakness, loss of weight, vomiting often, swelling on the ankles, poor sleep, etc.
The oral health seems affected by this condition as well. The patients of this condition can suffer from oral issues as bad breath, dry mouth, tooth loss, gum disease, excessive plaque, inflammation in the salivary glands, etc.
–Respiratory conditions: some of the most common respiratory conditions are asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, tuberculosis and sinusitis. These health complications cause damages in the lungs and difficulties to breathe.
Respiratory conditions itself doesn’t cause damages to oral health, but the medications used to maintain this condition can make the patient more susceptible to develop oral complications. The use of some medications like anti-inflammatories to relieve the respiratory conditions symptoms can have negative repercussions on oral health.
Some of the most common issues that patients with respiratory diseases can face are dry mouth, gingivitis and yeast and fungal infections.
–Immune disorders: this medical condition occurs when the body attacks its own tissues (autoimmune diseases) or when it lose its ability to fight infections. Some of this conditions are rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus
Immune disorders patients are at risk of developing oral health issues as cavities, periodontal diseases, dry mouth, etc.
–Gastrointestinal Disorders: the gastrointestinal disorders consists in acid reflux, a digestive disease that occurs when the acid from the stomach moves to the esophagus, causing regurgitation or a burning chest pain. When this issue happens very often in the same week then the person may have acid reflux disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
When the stomach acid moves to the esophagus an amount of acid reaches the mouth, affecting the layers that give protection to the tooth, dentin and tooth enamel.
This was the final part of our compilation about medical conditions that can lead to oral health issues. Do you have any of these medical conditions? Can you share any tip to maintain the good oral health?