You’ve heard it before: poor oral hygiene leads to poor oral health, including cavities and gum disease. But unfortunately, what you may not realize is that it sometimes the damage of poor oral health goes way beyond your mouth. It’s true. In fact, a recent study found that poor oral health lead to a host of other illnesses throughout the body, and they may surprise you.
While we already knew that a link between poor oral health and diseases like Alzheimer’s disease existed, authors of a recent dental study found that poor oral health can be tied to many other illnesses.
Published in the journal BMJ Open, the study, which took place in the UK, used data from 64,000 people with gum disease, and compared that data of 250,000 people with no periodontal disease. What they found was that the people with periodontal disease had more instances of other serious illnesses.
For example, people with periodontal disease also had higher instances of autoimmune diseases like psoriasis and arthritis. Worse yet, they were more likely to develop issues such as stroke and heart failure than those who did not have periodontal disease.
The study also found that people with poor periodontal health also had higher instances of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
While the exact link between these serious conditions and the instance of poor periodontal health is not known, one possibility is the bacteria that has infected the gums, causing inflammation of the gums. This bacteria can travel through the bloodstream and find its way to other areas of the body. In fact, in one study this bacteria was found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
The good news is that preventing oral health issues such as cavities and gum disease is easy, and it could help prevent or reduce your risk of developing these illnesses.
It’s as simple as brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes at a time, flossing daily (preferably at bedtime), and attending regular dental appointments with Dr. Abelar. To schedule an appointment for your bi-annual cleaning and exam with Dr. Abelar, please contact the office in San Deigo today!
