Obesity poor health

A recent study has revealed the higher the severity of tooth decay, the higher proportion of subjects with a Body Mass Index of 30 or more, a figure the World Health Organization generally considers as obese.

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In 2008, 1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these, more than 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese, a trend also reflected in the results of the study. During the inaugural National Childhood Obesity Week, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, expressed his concern at the findings and encouraged doctors to take a greater role in tackling poor oral health.

Dr. Carter said: “Periodontal pockets are essentially food and plaque traps that irritate and decay teeth to the point the tooth will eventually fall out. As almost one in four adults in the U.K. are classed as being obese, there is clearly a significant oral health risk to those people.

“There has been much discussion about broadening the role of the dentist to check for illnesses such as diabetes, and when it comes to obesity, there is definitely a case for doctors relaying information on how their diet is directly affecting their oral health.

“As well as recommending people brush for two minutes twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste and they visit their dentist regularly, the foundation also recommends people cut down on how often they have sugary foods and drinks. By following these three key rules, you stand a much greater chance of having and keeping healthy gums, thereby reducing the risk of gum disease, tooth loss and decay,” added Dr. Carter.

Studies and experts have pointed to grazing and snacking as a possible cause in the rise of obesity. A team from the University of North Carolina analyzed data from food surveys carried out in the United States during the 70s, 80s, 90s, and the last decade--and while obesity rose in each--increases in the number of eating occasions and portion size seem to account for most of the change.

Dr. Carter said: “Snacking and grazing is becoming an increasing problem, particularly as people are working longer hours. The notion of ‘desk grazing’ might suffice short-term hunger, but it is considerably better for your teeth and general health if you eat three meals a day instead of having seven to ten ‘snack attacks.’ If you do need to snack between meals, choose foods such as cheese, breadsticks, nuts, or raw vegetables.”

For any information relating to how you can improve oral health, contact the free and impartial Dental Helpline at 0845 063 1188 or visit www.dentalhealth.org.

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