Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

BHARATH DENTAL CLINIC

Dr. Shabbir Ulla Khan.

The link between them may surprise you.

The condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall health. Taking care of your teeth isn't just about having a nice smile and pleasant breath. Poor oral health has been linked to heart disease, stroke,and other health problems. But by changing certain habits, you can improve the health of your mouth and teeth and lessen your risk.

How well you care for your teeth and gums has a powerful effect on your overall health. Neglecting your oral health lead to more than just sore teeth and bad breath — it can open the door to all sorts of health problems, including some pretty nasty diseases like oral cancer.

Oral Health and Diabetes

Doctors have known for years that type 2 diabetic shown an increased incidence of periodontitis, or gum disease. "We found that people who had higher levels of periodontal disease had a twofold risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes over that time period compared to people with low levels or no gum disease," explains Ryan Demmer, PhD, associate researcher at the department of epidemiology at the Mailman School.

Oral Health and Heart Disease

As with diabetes, the connection between poor oral health and cardiovascular conditions has been recognized — the two are often found together — but it still hasn't been determined conclusively whether or not there is a direct causal relationship between them. (One reason is that there are a number of other potential risk factors — such as smoking and oldage — that can lead both to gum disease and heart disease.) One theory about why this may occur, says Dr. Desvarieux, is that small amounts of bacteria enter your bloodstream while you're chewing. "Bad" bacteria from an infected mouth may lodge itself inside blood vessels, ultimately causing dangerous blockages. Strengthening his theory is the fact that when scientist shave looked at atherosclerotic blood vessels, they have sometimes found fragments of periodontal bacteria. Meanwhile, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 established that aggressive treatment of gum disease reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis within six months.

Pregnancy Complications and Gum Disease

For many pregnant women, gum infections stem from the fluctuating hormone levels that come with pregnancy. Scientists believe that gum disease or inflammation in the mouth possibly triggers an increase in a chemical compound called Prostaglandin, which induces early labor.While this theory has not yet been confirmed, a 2001 study found that pregnant women who develop gum disease between weeks 21 and 24 are four to seven times more likely to give birth before week 37. There is evidence that poor gum health in the extreme can lead to low birth weight as well. A number of studies —including a 2007 study of 3,567 Turkish women and a 2007 study of 1,305Brazilian women — found a relationship between periodontal disease, preterm-birth, and low birth weight.

Pneumonia and Gum Disease

There has been a link established between poor oral-health and pneumonia, though much of the research focuses on high-risk populations. A 2008 study of elderly participants found that the number who developed pneumonia was 3.9 times higher in patients with periodontal infection than in those free from it. "The lungs are very close to the mouth,"says Rubin. "Even in a healthy mouth there is lots of bacteria, but bacteria in a non-healthy mouth can get aspirated into the lungs, causing pneumonia or aggravating COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder."Several intervention studies cited by the CDC show that an improvement in oral-health can lead to a reduction in respiratory infection.