The health of your bones is more related to your oral health than you may think. For some reason, the visibility of our teeth may make us disassociate them from our overall bone health.
Let’s explore why bone health matters, and is pivotal, for the health of your teeth.
The Anatomy of A Tooth
Technically, teeth are not bones. The outside of a tooth is made up of enamel, and acts as the tooth’s protector. Specifically, enamel protects dentin, which is the soft tissue within the tooth. Within the dentin is the pulp of the tooth, which houses blood vessels, nerve tissue, and the root canal. As the gateway between the inner-workings of our teeth and the outside world, enamel plays a critical role in the health of our teeth.
Enamel has an incredibly important job. As the main defense against bacteria, enamel protects your teeth from infection. Unlike bone, which can repair itself, enamel permanently wears away. While dentists can mitigate enamel loss, any loss of enamel can impact the lifespan of a tooth.
How is Bone Health Related to Teeth?
As we age, our bones weaken. There are a number of factors that can decrease bone density such as lifestyle habits, diet, genetics, medications, or related health problems. Regardless of the reason, this also affects our teeth.
Skeletal decreases in bone density have been found to profoundly affect the teeth via the jawbone. When the jawbone becomes weak, it makes teeth susceptible to germs, bacteria, and ultimately, infection. Add weakened enamel to the equation, and your teeth are even more exposed to potential invaders.
How Can I Protect My Bones and Teeth?
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, there are many ways to maintain bone health, and therefore, the health of your teeth.
Eating a balanced diet, high in calcium and vitamin D, helps to strengthen bones by increasing bone density.
Another way to support your bone health is to avoid smoking, which has been found to contribute to the weakening of bones and more specifically, teeth.
Lastly, regular exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise, has been found to strengthen the skeletal system.
Through the practice of these good habits, you can maintain and promote the health of your bones. In adopting these practices, you are also taking steps to protect your teeth. Remember, caring for your bones means that you are also caring for your teeth.
Also, don’t forget that maintaining good dental hygiene will help to provide a layer of defense for your teeth, especially if you do experience loss in bone density. Good dental habits will always promote the health of teeth!
Bone Health and Your Teeth Are Interconnected
Bone health and the health of your teeth are intrinsically connected. Your bone health effects the health of your teeth. From the inside out, we can maintain bone health to maintain the health of our teeth.
By adopting a few healthy habits, we can mitigate the loss of bone density and keep our teeth healthy and free from bacteria and possible infection.
Which habits are you going to adopt to protect your bone health?