What Is the Relationship Between Oral Health and General Health and Well-being?
Chapters 5 and 6 address key issues in the charge—the relationship of oral health to general health and well-being. Chapter 5 explores the theme of the mouth as a mirror that in some measure can reflect general health or disease status. Examples are given of how oral tissues may signal the presence of disease, disease progression, or risk factor exposure levels, and how oral cells and fluids are increasingly being used as diagnostic tools. This is followed by a discussion of the mouth as a portal of entry for infections that can affect local tissues and may spread to other parts of the body. The next section reviews the literature regarding emerging associations between oral diseases and disorders and diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Chapter 6 demonstrates the relationship between oral health and quality of life, presenting data on the consequences of poor oral health and altered appearance on speech, eating, and other functions, as well as on self-es
