Over the past few years, the health and fitness industry has boomed, and our society has become increasingly preoccupied with self-care as a means to improve our wellbeing.
Once upon a time, the idea of being ‘fit’ was something specifically referred to in relation to the body. It conjured up images of cardio workouts and intensive gym sessions, sculpted muscles and that much envied ‘healthy glow’.
More recently, the growing acceptance of holistic medicine and increasing understanding of the mind-body connection has expanded our understanding of what it means to be fit and healthy.
Not only do we simply look at the body as a measure of our ‘fitness’, but also our psychological and emotional states too. In fact, many of us place equal importance on maintaining both our physical and emotional wellbeing. While this is certainty a positive step towards ‘holistic’ health and fitness, from what I have observed throughout my career I can’t help but think that our dental health has been left out of the equation.
What about ‘dental fitness’?
As a dentist by trade, I believe it’s crucial we start to prioritise our dental fitness. The term ‘dental fitness’ might sound strange, but when you think about how much time and effort we put into our ‘wellness’ it only makes sense that we incorporate our dental and oral health into our wellness goals too.
The mind-body and mouth connection
Many people don’t realise how much our dental and oral health can impact our overall health.
This is something I refer to as the mouth-body-mind connection. But what does that mean?
At first it might seem unlikely that conditions of the mouth can affect completely different organ systems within the body. But, when you think about it, the mouth is the gateway to the body, making it a likely starting point for other conditions and ailments.
For example, bacteria that builds up in the teeth can trigger an immune system response. This inflammation my not only cause conditions of the mouth such as gum disease but can trigger flare-ups in other body systems. Through science, we now know there is a strong linkage between gum disease (periodontitis) and diabetes, as inflammation that starts in the mouth begins to inhibit the body’s ability to regulate its blood sugar.
Another example of the mouth-body connection is the correlation between oral health and heart disease. While this connection is not yet fully understood, significant bodies of research point to high levels of gum disease in people suffering from heart disease. A prevailing theory in the scientific community is that the high levels of inflammation in gum disease sufferers causes inflammation within the blood vessels, leading to poor cardiac health and cardiac events.
Mouth and mind
The relationship between mouth and mind is equally as important. Our teeth are on constant display throughout our lives and play a critical role in the activities that connect us as human beings, whether through talking, eating, laughing, or simply smiling at one another.
As a result, poor dental health can drastically impact the way we feel about ourselves. A lack of confidence, low self-esteem and embarrassment are some of the most common feelings seen in patients with dental issues. Here we see a clear link between how our oral health can impact our overall emotional and mental wellbeing too.
While there are fortunately dental treatments available that can fix existing dental issues, as always, prevention is better than a cure. This is where dental fitness needs to come into play.
Dental fitness in practice
So, what does dental fitness look like in practice? As with improvements to physical and mental fitness, there’s no silver bullet to achieving dental fitness. Instead, it’s about developing excellent dental habits and enjoying the process of looking after your teeth.
My list of top tips for great dental fitness includes:
- Having a strong sense of self care and great habits regarding your oral health. This means regular brushing, flossing and six-monthly dental check-ups.
- Having no dental or oral diseases, meaning you’re free of decay, gum disease, TMJ issues and more.
- You’re able to chew any foods you want, because none of your teeth wobble or ache when biting into hard-to-eat foods such as apples.
- You keep up with and enjoy your dental visits as part of your personal maintenance and enjoy how good you feel once you’ve had a check-up.
- You have fresh breath that gives you confidence and peace of mind when talking to others.
- Your mouth and teeth are comfortable carrying out day to day activities such as eating, smiling, speaking and kissing.
- You smile confidentially in the presence of others.
- You love your teeth!
As a society, we are forever finding new ways to improve our physical and emotional fitness. We’re now living in a time where gym memberships are the norm, yoga has entered the mainstream and every second person has a mindfulness practice they dedicate time to.
As someone who is passionate about holistic health and wellness, these areas are incredibly important to me also. However, in my role as a dentist I have come to realise how much our dental and oral health has been left out our perception of ‘wellness’.
By looking at dental care as part of your regular ‘fitness’ routine and incorporating great dental habits, you will not only keep your teeth in ‘shape’ but reap the physical and mental rewards as well.