With the global COVID-19 pandemic crippling our lives, now more than ever, looking after your health and immune system is vital.
Never underestimate the power of good oral health. The body is all connected, with the mouth being the window to your overall health and wellbeing.
The immune system is designed to help the body fight off viruses. A strong and healthy immune system gives you a better chance of combating serious illness if or when a virus strikes.
Gum disease and other oral infections can wear down the immune system and prevent the body from defending itself against the threat of a virus such as COVID-19.
That’s why it’s so important to keep up good oral hygiene, not only for your health and wellbeing 365 days a year, but to give you the best possible chance of combating illness during this uncertain time.
In addition, stress, poor sleep, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating all contribute towards a poor immune system. And with the current situation in Australia, we are more prone to developing unhealthy daily habits such as:
- Lack of exercise due to gym closures
- Constant snacking due to self-isolation/boredom
- Increase in stress due to financial troubles, concerns about your own health and loved ones etc.
- Poor sleep habits due to change of routine.
Here at Mulgrave Dental Group, we believe the key to maintain a healthy routine throughout self-isolation is by keeping up regular oral hygiene.
Like we mentioned earlier, the mouth is the window to your health. If you keep up a good oral hygiene routine, you will set yourself up for a healthy day ahead.
Why Oral Hygiene Is So Important During Self-Isolation:
Maintaining good oral hygiene is important every single day throughout your lifetime, but now with our current routine out of whack, more and more people are turning to sugary and starchy snacks out of isolation boredom.
Mindless snacking not only contributes towards weight gain, it also causes havoc for your teeth.
Frequent snacking exposes the teeth to sugar for a longer amount of time. Foods high in sugar and/or starch allow the bacteria in our mouth to thrive, causing tooth decay. When bacteria get the chance to feed off food particles, it releases an acid that damages the tooth enamel.
Overtime, a build of bad bacteria and germs in the mouth can lead to gum disease or other oral issues which have been linked to wearing down the immune system.
Right now, we need our immune system to be as strong and healthy as possible to help our body fight against the threat of a virus, such as COVID-19.
So, next time you find yourself reaching for another snack, think about the health consequences. Not only are you contributing towards weight gain, but you could be damaging your oral health and immune system.
Here are some effective tips to avoid boredom snacking during isolation:
- Make a healthy and balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner to keep you satisfied throughout the day
- Brush your teeth after meals
- Chew gum
- Keep yourself busy and entertained
- Log a food diary to keep track
- Meditate
- Try a home workout to boost endorphins and motivate you to eat healthy
Remember, by staying home you are helping save lives. Self-isolation does not mean your health and fitness goals are thrown out the window. While the current pandemic has spiraled out of control, you still have control of your own health and wellbeing. All of the above can help to stop the spread of COVID-19.
