What are the effects of illness on dental health?

The winter is around the corner where the body becomes more prone to smaller illness. If you have suffered through the flu or cold, the sickness creates problems for your general health and dental health too. Have you ever thought that what might be the effect of the illness on dental health? Well, the illnesses do affect dental health to some extent. Different types of illness cause different effects on dental health. So, on many occasions, people also need to meet dental experts along with general doctors due to adverse effects on dental health.

So, here we will look at some of the common symptoms during the different illness and their corresponding effect on the teeth:

1. Vomiting

Vomiting brings out the stomach acid which is present after eating and it comes in contact with the teeth. This stomach acid is as strong as mild battery acid and it erodes the tooth enamel. Constant vomiting will expose the tooth more exposed to stomach acid that makes the tooth hypersensitive, brittle, and more vulnerable to decay. Here, the better way is rinsing the mouth properly which can remove all the stomach acid stuck up on the tooth to clean.

2. Dehydration

Illness many times causes dehydration of the mouth and body which is not nice for dental health. It lowers the saliva level of the body that impacts the overall health too. So, the lower saliva increases the bacteria build-up on the tooth and gums. This affects the teeth to a lot of extents causing the teeth to erode.

3. Sinus pressure

Flu viruses, heavy colds, and sinus infections cause toothache. It can be relieved by wrapping the wet towel around the eyes and nose.

4. Medications

When you fall ill then the medications you take for getting cured also impact oral health. Some of the medications are high in sugar that increases the sugar level in the body. It adversely affects the treatment process of problems like Gingivitis, Periodontitis, and other gums related problems. A proper mouthwash and request for the medicine with a lesser sugar amount can be helpful for dental treatment.

5. Tiredness

During the illness of any of the types, it just drains your energy. It discourages people from following general good dental habits like flossing and brushing. It in turn affects dental health leading to bacteria development on the teeth and gums.

6. Discoloration of the teeth

You can easily notice that when you fall ill, your teeth get discolored. A yellowish layer is developed or your teeth do not shine like before. Neglecting the flossing and brushing habits is mainly responsible for it. Also, the fluoride effect from the toothpaste during the illness is lesser.

So, these are some of the illnesses that affect the dental health of the individual. Whenever you suffer from any of such dental problems then visiting the dental expert is always advisable. Make sure that you do not neglect good dental habits even during the illness. Maintaining good dental health is a continuous process that must be done regularly.