Longer brushing leads to longer life? The correlation between oral hygiene and overall health

As children, we were told to brush our teeth to reduce the number of cavities. It typically didn’t take more than one filling to get that message. Yet, as more evidence comes out about the correlation between good oral health and overall health, perhaps dentists should have mentioned a trip to the dentist can prevent future trips to the doctor.

“There are so many benefits to having good, strong healthy teeth I think our industry thought that was enough of a reason to take good care of your teeth,” said Dr. Richard Wolfert, DMD, a dental practitioner and owner of The Toothboss at 1121 Main Street. “With the mounting evidence of overall health benefits, it’s leading many adults to pick up the slack on their own dental care.”

What are the benefits of better oral hygiene? According to many medical resources chronic inflammation of the gums, caused by the bacterium in plaque left behind by the poor execution of brushing and flossing, has been linked to the development of cardiovascular problems and strokes. While medical experts won’t say one causes the other, gum disease has been noted in people who have heart issues or suffer strokes.

Another serious condition linked to poor oral health is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints. Many experts have noted similarities in the destruction of connective tissues in both gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Poor oral health has been also linked with the development of inflammation in other parts of the body.

Research has also noted a correlation between people with uncontrolled diabetes and gum disease. This is probably due to the fact that diabetes weakens the immune system, making you more susceptible to gum disease than non-diabetics.

Dr. Wolfert noted that one of the other benefits of better oral health is improved memory (the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry revealed that adults with gingivitis--swollen, bleeding gums--performed worse on tests of memory and other cognitive skills than did those with healthier gums and mouths) and pregnant women with better oral health being more likely to carry their baby to term.

“These findings are actually great news because everybody can improve their overall health at least two times per day by taking better care of your teeth,” said Dr. Wolfert. “If you don’t floss every day, you now have a pretty good reason to start. If you spend less than a minute to brush your teeth, ramping that up to two minutes will make an impactful improvement on your oral health and hopefully your overall health.

Adds Dr. Wolfert, “The key is for people to make these upgrades and visit your dentist for checkups, preferably twice a year, to ensure healthy teeth and gums and to alert you to any potential problems that could be a sign of other more major health issues.”

Dr. Wolfert’s practice, The Toothboss, is located at 1121 Main Street in South Weymouth, Massachusetts. For more information on correct brushing and flossing technique, you can visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.