The connection between oral health and overall health is well-documented, but it’s not usually discussed during physical exams or dental visits. His April 2022 report from the National Institutes of Health found that 90% of adults between the ages of 20 and 64 experience tooth decay, and nearly 50% of adults between the ages of 45 and 64. I found out that I have periodontal disease.
Dr. Michael Roizen, chief health officer at the Cleveland Clinic, says oral disease has a strong connection to overall health. Research has shown a link between good dental habits and the likelihood of developing diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and heart disease.
If you don’t take care of your oral health, cavities and periodontal disease can enter your bloodstream, contribute to the breakdown of plaque in your arteries, and promote inflammation in your brain and other areas of your body. It’s possible, Roizen says. “Flossing your teeth is the equivalent of 8,000 steps a day,” he says. “This is pretty powerful.”
Think of your body as a human donut
In 2019, the World Health Organization listed permanent tooth decay as the most common health condition in its Global Burden of Disease Report.Oral diseases affect approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide
What we don’t often realize is that this is not only bad for your mouth, but also for your body. “People think their head and teeth are separate from the rest of their body, but that’s actually not the case,” says Dr. Maria Ryan, DDS. She holds a PhD in oral biology and she is the Chief Clinical Officer for Colgate-Palmolive Company. Viewing the body as one connected system helps highlight how the body influences all areas of health, and the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene, she said. she says.
Naveen Jain, founder of Viome, a company that develops personalized toothpaste and supplements based on an individual’s microbiome, likens the human body to a doughnut. “We have tubes running through our bodies,” Jain says, noting that billions of microorganisms enter our bodies through those tubes when we breathe. “When the protective barrier breaks down, inflammation occurs in the body. If your gum is leaking, it’s the same concept. If you’re bleeding from your heart or your fingers, we’ll try to figure it out. From your gums.” If there is blood, it doesn’t matter. In both cases, all the microorganisms are free to enter the bloodstream.”
That path, Ryan says, is where the trouble begins. That’s not surprising. high blood pressureThe Journal of the American Heart Association found that people with periodontal disease are twice as likely to have a heart attack and three times as likely to have a stroke as people without inflammatory periodontal disease. I did. “People think, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ You could lose a tooth,” Ryan says. “Well, it could be worse than that.”
Poor oral health can also affect our self-confidence
If the possibility of developing heart disease or diabetes isn’t enough to warrant a visit to the dentist, the idea of looking better may come into play. After all, dental hygiene is also central to all of our relationships. If you are aware of bad breath or missing teeth, this can affect your ability to live confidently in society. “It can impact a person’s ability to get a job or their relationships,” Ryan says. “It’s important on so many levels.”
And weak teeth can affect how you deal with more everyday aspects of your health. Ryan uses healthy eating as an example. If a doctor recommends that a patient with poor oral health eat more fruits and vegetables, the patient may be stuck eating foods such as apples, carrots, and broccoli if missing teeth or cavities are the cause. No, Ryan says.
When all these factors interfere with the ability to be social and engaged on an individual level, mental health can be compromised. A study conducted in 2022 demonstrated a link between poor oral health and increased anxiety and depression.
How to protect your oral health and overall health
Prevention and education are key in addressing the oral health crisis, Ryan says. His Know Your OQ oral health literacy initiative at Colgate-Palmolive aims to change some of these statistics and raise awareness about the importance of simple and consistent oral hygiene.
The American Dental Association and WHO recommend six basic steps to prevent periodontal disease.
- Brush for 2 minutes twice a day
- Floss once a day.
- Visit your dentist every six months.
- Limit sugary drinks and snacks.
- avoid all types of tobacco
- Use protective equipment during sports
It may seem like very basic information, Ryan says, but if everyone did it, oral health statistics wouldn’t be where they are today.
Dr. Tian Jiang, a practicing dentist who teaches oral health policy and epidemiology at Harvard School of Dentistry, takes every opportunity he can to incorporate education into his interactions with patients, and uses preventative rather than reactive methods whenever possible. He said he is taking an approach. “Like high blood pressure, if you have a lot of dental conditions and concerns, like early cavities, you can’t feel anything,” says Jean. “You may not feel anything until it progresses. If you bring the patient in and the dentist diagnoses five cavities, we can say that the symptoms are better.”
But by that point, the situation is dire and patients are in great pain, especially when it comes to periodontal disease, Jiang said. To add insult to injury, patients now also face significant dental costs for treatment and tooth preservation. “We have an uphill battle,” she says. “We want to diagnose, but there’s always the suspicion that dentists are just looking to make money.”
From Ryan’s perspective, education and standardization of these ideas will be critical to changing the trajectory of how oral health is framed and prioritized.
Related to this, knowing where to get dental care can also be a barrier, she says. Aside from dental care, the dental school also offers cleanings and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). “You can be aware of the signs and symptoms as well as prevention strategies, so if you are sick, go and get treatment. There are many places where you can get care.”
