MANILA, Philippines — A dentist warned that a simple toothache may lead to serious diseases such as heart problems and cancer.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com during the opening of the new Metro Dental branch in The Podium, Dr. Marie Poblete-Michel said that the teeth are related to the entire body and thus, should not be ignored.
“The teeth are related to the entire body. So if you leave an infection, of course, the bacteria will go to the blood stream, so it can affect your heart, lungs, and for some, it may lead to cancer because that bacteria is very aggressive,” Michel warned.
“The mouth is source of an infection, so if there's an infection, it should be eliminated. (The infection) starts with the dental health, so if we eliminate (the infection), there's a strong chance of not getting sick. It's related, so talagang dapat hindi pinapabayaan,” she stressed.
She advised that oral health should not be taken for granted. Because when people do, it will just aggravate any health condition that a person has, she said.
“'Wag papabayaan ang oral health kasi konektado siya sa system at buong katawan natin e," she enthused.
"'Pag pinapabayaan natin, lalo lang mag-aggravate, lalala lang 'yung kundisyon natin, kung may kundisyon tayo. Kunyari may heart disease na tayo, lalo lang lalala. 'Pag mayroon tayong bulok na ngipin, lalo lang lalala. So I really recommend to do regular dental checkup every year. At least, you would know, alam mo kung ano ang dapat mong gawin."
The Philippine government has marked February as Oral Health Month and Philippine Heart Month to emphasize the connection between heart and oral health.