What your mouth says about your overall health

If fear of a jack o’ lantern smile isn’t enough to get you brushing and flossing, then maybe this will: Researchers are finding intriguing links between poor oral health and serious chronic disease.

In the past decade, an explosion of studies has shown important connections between severe periodontal, or gum, disease and a scary list of other conditions, including heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s.

Gum disease may even contribute to mothers having babies that are born prematurely at a low birth weight. These babies have an increased risk of poor health throughout their lives.

The American Dental Association is quick to point out that studies so far have suggested an association between gum disease and chronic disease, not necessarily a cause and effect. That is, people who have periodontitis (the most severe form of gum disease) are more likely to have one or more of the chronic conditions mentioned above. We don’t know at this stage whether one condition causes the other or makes the other worse.

Exploring the connections

But researchers at the National Institutes of Health are now exploring how these conditions are related. One theory is that bacteria living in plaque release a steady stream of toxins into the bloodstream that can harm other parts of the body. The toxins provoke our immune system into causing chronic inflammation, which is known to play a critical role in many diseases.

Another theory is that shared risk factors — such as stress, certain medications, and smoking — contribute to an association between gum disease and other chronic conditions.

Severe gum disease can exacerbate existing heart disease and increase blood sugar, making it harder for diabetics to control their condition. And it may trigger increased levels of biological fluids that can induce labor in pregnant women, according to gum disease specialists.

Affecting 75% of us

Certainly the notion that good oral health may reduce our chances of getting chronic disease has public health implications because both gum and chronic disease are so prevalent.

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SOURCE: Independent Record