Keeping a good hygiene it’s the most important factor to maintain a good oral health, but for the people that have a medical condition developing oral health problems is easier even when they keep good hygiene habits. This medical conditions can affect oral health:
–Eating disorders: serious eating disorders as bulimia and anorexia can be a threat to the oral health. This occurs mainly due to the excessive dieting that causes the lack of nutrients that are required for maintaining a good oral and overall health.
–Diabetes: people that suffer from diabetes is more likely to develop oral infections than other people who doesn’t is affected by this condition. Some of the most common oral health problems that affect patients with this condition are gum diseases, dry mouth, tooth decay, fungal infections, etc.
Diabetics face greater risks of developing gum disease and researchers has demonstrated that both of this complications directly affect one another. The gum disease represents a very dangerous problem to diabetics as it causes the increase of blood sugar levels.
A proper oral care is essential for diabetics to maintain controlled its condition and to keep a healthy mouth. Having the blood sugar levels under control may be primordial for this patients, but also keeping a good oral health is very important since infections like gum disease can intensify the complications related to diabetes. Researchers have shown that the treatment of gum disease can bring improvements to diabetes and vice versa.
–HIV/AIDS & STDS: the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the one that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and is passed from one person to another through blood or sexual contact can lead to numerous oral issues as dry mouth, cavities, oral warts, hairy leukoplakia or black hairy tongue, oral thrush, canker sores, fever blisters, etc.
The sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that are also spread from one person to another trough sexual contact, as it names indicates it. Some of this diseases are human papillomaviruses (HPV), chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis and genital herpes. These STDs can also have negative repercussions on oral health and throat as oral warts, sores on the lips or gums, swollen glands, soreness in the mouth or the apparition of white spots in the mouth.
–Cancer: this disease is developed when there’s an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells (cancerous, malignant) in the body.
Treatments to fight cancer as chemotherapy and radiation can have negative effects on the oral health of the patient that receives the treatment. The difficulty for chewing, swallowing, speaking or tasting; dry mouth; soreness in the mouth or throat; sores in the mouth and infections are some of the most common issues that affect chemotherapy and radiations patients.
Cancer is a disease that can start in any of the body’s tissues. Oral cancer can develop inside the mouth, lips, esophagus, tongue or tonsils.
Do you suffer from any of this medical conditions? Don’t worry. Maintaining your condition under control, having a good oral hygiene and the advice of your dentist can help you have a good oral health even with your condition.
Want to know more about other medical conditions that affect the good oral health? Read our article: This Medical Conditions Can Affect Oral Health (Part 2).