Oral health
Oral Health
Oral health (/ɔːrəl hɛlθ/) refers to the health of the mouth, including the teeth, gums, and supporting tissues. It is a key indicator of overall health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Etymology
The term "oral" is derived from the Latin word "os, oris" meaning mouth, and "health" comes from the Old English word "hǣlth", which has the base meaning of "whole".
Importance of Oral Health
Oral health is essential to general health and well-being at every stage of life. A healthy mouth enables not only nutrition of the physical body, but also enhances social interaction and promotes self-esteem and feelings of well-being.
Related Terms
- Dental Hygiene: The practice of keeping the mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy to prevent disease.
- Periodontal Disease: A serious gum infection that damages gums and can destroy the jawbone.
- Dental Caries: Also known as cavities or tooth decay, a breakdown of teeth due to acids made by bacteria.
- Oral Cancer: A type of cancer that occurs in the mouth or throat tissues.
- Orthodontics: A branch of dentistry dealing with irregularities of the teeth and their correction, as by means of braces.
- Endodontics: The branch of dentistry dealing with the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases of the dental pulp, usually by removal of the nerve and other tissue of the pulp cavity and its replacement with suitable filling material; root canal therapy.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Oral health
- Wikipedia's article - Oral health
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