The obvious main benefit to having a healthy body is it allows you to perform well in your everyday activities, with overall good health improving your quality of life.  

However, if your oral health is poor it would affect your physical condition no matter how fit you are.

Consider this story of someone I know that could have been a poster boy example of good physical fitness with bad oral health.  

My friend was on a flight from Vancouver to Boston to run the Boston Marathon in 2005 when he began to feel pain in his tooth.  

It started hurting 30 minutes after takeoff, soon elevating to tortuous levels of throbbing agony.

It was an abscessed upper molar that had exposed itself at the worst possible time.

He was aware of tooth decay but decided getting it fixed could wait until after coming home from the marathon.  

There was nothing on the plane or in his carry on bag to relieve the pain.  

On arrival at Boston his next stop was the nearest drug store where a sympathetic pharmacist provided an antibiotic for the infection and Tylenol 3s for the pain.  

Luckily, he’d arrived three days early and was pain-free for the marathon, though his ordeal was energy sapping.  He visited his dentist soon after arriving home.

He knows that he should never have let his oral health issues fester for so long.   

In a recent interview with Burnaby dentist, Dr. Mark Wang, he says, “Having a good healthy mouth will lead to a good healthy rest of the body.”

Think of the work you put into achieving a healthy body and then visit your dentist to learn how you can improve your oral health.  

“A healthy set of teeth allows you to enjoy all the different types of foods that are available to you and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Wang said, adding, “Missing teeth will inhibit your ability to perhaps chew and enjoy certain foods that should be lean proteins, and crunchy vegetables. You will need a full set of teeth to maximize your enjoyment.”

Having healthy teeth enables you to have the proper nutrition you need.  Dr. Wang says, “With poor oral health there is an increase correlation with cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes (and) hypertension.”

Exercising can help you lose weight, be a confidence booster and help prevent diseases, while good oral health can give you a great smile and more confidence.  

Having regular checkups at the dentist can detect gum disease and oral cancer.  

Making time for exercise while taking care of your oral health, increases your chances of living longer and happier.

Dr. Wang shares his tips here for good oral health:

Visit your dentist twice a year for cleaning and check for diseases.

Brush your teeth regularly – at least twice a day.

Make healthy food choices and limit sweets which can lead to cavities.

Floss every day to keep your gums healthy.

Use mouthwash to help kill germs but not too much, as the alcohol tends to dry the inside lining of your mouth.  You could dilute mouthwash with water.

According to the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association – Tobacco products can stain your teeth and increase your risk of oral cancer.  

Drugs and other aids are available to help you quit.

If you grind your teeth, wear a night guard.

A healthy body and a healthy smile equal a healthy life.

www.runwithit.ca

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YouTube – Run With It Check out Season 5 Episode 6 on Oral Health