Do your body a favor. Go to the dentist. Research shows there may be a link
between oral disease and other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease,
and stroke, as well as premature and low-birth-weight babies. Although scientists
are only just beginning to understand this link, dentists are encouraging people
to make oral health care a regular part of a healthy lifestyle.
Good health requires good nutrition, but if you don't have strong teeth and
healthy gums, your ability to eat properly is diminished. Your choice of foods
becomes restricted, and you may have difficulties getting all the nutrients
you need.
And it only makes sense that chronic infections in the mouth, as are common
with people with gingivitis or gum disease, puts strain on the body's immune
system.
To help people learn more about preventing oral disease, the American Dental
Association (ADA) urges you to talk to your dentist during National Childrens' Dental
Health Month, which occurs every year in February.