We have all heard and know of the countless benefits that oral hygiene has in our lives. Whether it is keeping our breathe clean or fighting cavities and plaque we know that we should be brushing and flossing several times a day.
While it is not the most exciting task of the day, oral hygiene is much more important than we know and it goes beyond the cleanliness of our teeth and gums. I will be the first to admit that I do not get in as much flossing as I would like to, but after reading the results of some very reputable studies, I am beginning to make it more of a priority.
Recent studies have shown links to some unexpected health conditions including: Cardiovascular disease, Pancreatic Cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. While all scientific studies need to be taken with a grain of salt, they are important starting points for future research into the benefits of good oral hygiene.
Research done by the University of Bristol in England and at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, found that people with bleeding gums from lack of dental hygiene could be increasing their risk for cardiovascular or heart disease.
These researchers found that the increase risk of heart disease is due to the bacteria in the mouth that is able to enter the bloodstream of bleeding gums and eventually stick to platelets to form clots or cause infections. These are both risk factors that interrupt blood flow to the heart and could cause heart disease such as a heart attack.
Dr. Howard Jenkinson, Editor in Chief of Molecular Oral Microbiology says “Cardiovascular disease is currently the biggest killer in the western world. Oral bacteria such as Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are common infecting agents, and we now recognize that bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases.”
Besides possible heart conditions, Harvard researchers in Public Health reported a strong link between gum disease and Pancreatic cancer. The study followed 51,000 men beginning in 1986 and finalizing their results in 2007.
Harvard researchers found that men with a history of gum disease had a 64% increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those men who have never had gum disease. Although this study shows strictly correlation and does not imply causation, it does provide some interesting statistics to take a further look into what is causing these results. In fact the team of researchers admit that it is not an established risk factor, but is certainly something that needs to be further examined.
A study done by New York University that showed a correlation between gum inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease. This was a long-term study examining a small sample of 152 subjects over a 20-year period. In this study, participants were nine times more likely to score in the lower range of a cognitive test if they had inflammation in their gums.
This study was further built on by a study done by the University of Central Lancashire that took brain samples of living patients with Alzheimer’s and compared them to brain samples of those who did not have the disease.
They discovered that a bacterium named Porphyromonas gingivalis was found in the Alzheimer’s brain sample, but not in the healthy brain sample. This bacterium is associated with chronic gum disease.
Dr. Sim K. Singhrao, co-author of this study, further explained that these bacteria “can use their movement capability to directly enter the brain. One of the paths taken is to crawl up the nerves that connect the brain and the roots of teeth. The other path is indirect entry into the brain via the blood circulation system.”
Further research is needed by the scientific community to further verify these findings, but regardless of the limitations of this research it is important to take the overall message seriously. Oral hygiene is much more important to your overall health than you may be aware.
A few minutes of brushing and flossing is certainly worth the benefits that accompany them and the disease prevention they may facilitate.
Zachary Heppner
Viewpoints Editor
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