Keep it Clean: The Incredible Impact of Oral Health on Your Body and Brain
Brushing your teeth, flossing, and routine visits to the dentist are all important and key contributors to your oral health. And there’s a growing consensus among dental and medical experts that your oral health affects your body as a whole. In fact, nearly every medical condition has some type of manifestation in the mouth according to University of Michigan periodontal health researcher Wenche S. Borgnakke, in a Men’s Journal article by Joseph Hooper. Here are some specific ailments and diseases known to be linked to poor oral health.
Heart Disease
There’s a clear link between poor oral health and heart disease. The Delta Dental team cites a statistic by the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden that found that a person’s risk of having their first heart attack increases by 28 percent if they have gum disease. What’s the reason for this correlation? Tracey Sandilands at Colgate explains that bacteria and germs in your mouth are spread to other parts of your body via the bloodstream. When bacteria reaches the heart, it can attach to damaged areas, resulting in inflammation. She says that individuals with chronic gum conditions or advanced periodontal disease are at the highest risk of heart disease stemming from poor oral health. An article in the Gainesville Sun also notes that there’s a correlation between oral health and artery health, and that oral plaque has a correlation with carotid artery plaque. This shows the importance of maintaining healthy gums and keeping oral plaque at bay. If you have any concerns about heart disease or other cardiovascular issues, you can make an appointment with The Cardiac & Vascular Institute which has two locations in Gainesville.
Alzheimer’s Disease
It’s only recently that scientists have suspected a correlation between poor oral health and any form of cognitive degeneration. But the ScienceDaily team references a 2016 study by the University of Southampton and King’s College London that discovered a link between gum disease and greater rates of cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s suspected that this stems from the body’s inflammatory response to the gum disease. Deseret News reporter, Lois M. Collins, looks at a study by the University of Central Lancashire, which theorizes that having the brain repeatedly exposed to bacteria and other harmful toxins from the gums may lead to nerve cell death and memory loss. Although research is ongoing, these findings show that there may be some level of connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Cancer
Maria Cohut at Medical News Today points out that once gum disease has caused inflammation of the tissue surrounding the teeth, it can actually go beyond the gums and start to attack the bone holding the teeth in place. In fact, regular dental checkups are often how oral cancer is detected in its early, more treatable stage. She reveals the findings of one particular 2017 study by the University of Helsinki that explains how the bacterium called Treponema denticola, which causes gum disease, is also thought to be responsible for the development of certain types of cancer. This study determined that pancreatic cancer was especially common. With the Center for Disease Control and Prevention stating that over 47 percent of adults aged 30 years or older and more than 70 percent of adults aged 65 years and older have some form of gum disease, this is definitely something to be aware of. Images: andreypopov/©123RF Stock Photo, stockyimages/©123RF Stock Photo, rh2010/©123RF Stock Photo
