KWALI HEALTH TIPS: Healthy Smiles and Healthy Outcomes with Healthful Tele-dentistry
Did you know that dental care is not merely about strong teeth and healthy gums? While we like to think of our mouths as a separate, isolated part of our bodies, the truth is that everything is linked – and a healthier mouth leads to better overall health. The mouth is a part of the body and so it goes without saying that, the condition of one’s mouth can have an impact on the well being of a person. In other words, a healthy mouth contributes to good overall health.
The specific benefits of good oral health are manifold and they touch the social, and physical aspects of life.
A healthy, radiant smile can boost an individual’s confidence in social settings. We all have friends or family members who lack the confidence to smile or to have a hearty laugh in public because they are embarrassed about their teeth. It may be that their teeth have unsightly stains and deposits (tartar) on their gums. It may be that they have poorly aligned (crooked), decayed, or missing teeth. Any one of the above can cause a person to become self-conscious. Bad breath, which may be a result of tooth decay or gum disease, makes for particularly awkward social situations that we all would like to avoid.
In addition to the above, judgements about a person's hygiene, socioeconomic status and education are sometimes made based on the appearance of a person’s mouth, teeth and gums. With these social considerations in mind, it is imperative that an individual have access to affordable dental care which can vastly improve an individual's ability to be confident in the presence of others.
When considering the health of the body in general, the most immediately apparent benefit of good dental health has to do with the enjoyment of food and beverages. Our ability to ingest a wide range of beverages which differ in temperature and sweetness, and the enjoyment of foods of varying textures depends in large part on the condition of our teeth, gums and oral tissues. Discomfort in the form of sensitivity or frank pain when eating or drinking can be the result of cracked teeth, tooth decay or gum disease.The process of digestion begins in the mouth and for this reason food must be chewed sufficiently to enable the process of digestion which continues in the gut.
The most obvious benefit to having good oral hygiene is the basic prevention of cavities and gum disease. Brushing properly at least twice a day and flossing daily can help eliminate common dental problems.
While we can use whitening treatments to whiten our teeth, simply brushing regularly with a tooth-whitening fluoride toothpaste can help brush away any stains or discolouration on your teeth.
Having good oral hygiene also leads to better total body health and will help you avoid problems like diabetes, heart disease or dementia. Research over the past few decades has also demonstrated linkages between gum disease, and heart disease. Studies have shown that the bacteria that commonly cause gum disease are also found in patients with heart disease. If the gums are infected with bacteria, it can make its way into your bloodstream and increase your chance of a heart attack or stroke.
Bad breath, or halitosis, is also caused by bacteria in your mouth that eventually will turn into plaque. Brushing and regular cleanings will remove plaque and prevent the formation of calculus on your teeth. It’s also an inexpensive and effective way to remove food and bacteria and keep your breath smelling fresh.
Taking care of your oral health can save you thousands in health care costs over your lifetime. The cost of some tubes of toothpaste, floss and regular check-ups is a small price to pay for overall health and well-being.
While there is a lot that you can do to prevent dental issues, sometimes life happens and it may be too late to rely on daily oral hygiene alone. If your dental issues require a professional, we have good news for you. The rapid technology and innovation going on the world over, now allows you to access dental services from the comfort of your own home. In Zimbabwe this is called Healthful Tele-dentistry and it allows you to take charge of your oral and overall health on your mobile device.
The advent of Healthful Tele-dentistry is set to vastly improve access to affordable dental care. The suite of service harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to perform dental health screening at scale. The process follows:
- self service AI
- remote dental tele-consultation
- primary dental services
- specialists booking services
The result of the use of these technologies is that individuals who for various socioeconomic reasons could not access dental care are now able to begin their journey toward optimal dental health using the convenience of a mobile phone. All the while lifting the proficiency of service delivery by practitioners. This makes it a scalable solution.
Kwali4u and Healthful Tele-dentistry bring you a dental screening chatbot. All you need to do is to take 3 images of your teeth and receive a dental report all on WhatsApp.
Go to http://logy.ai/zhz/kwadai or Scan the QR-Code below if you would like to commence your Healthful Tele-dentistry journey toward better dental health.
