Specialists have highlighted how oral hygiene might be linked to various diseases, emphasizing the significance of maintaining good oral health.
Many people strive for bright, white teeth for their appearance, but there are more compelling reasons to prioritize oral hygiene.
The annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was held recently in Phoenix, Arizona. This event brought healthcare professionals together to discuss research, policies, and health, as well as to conduct up to 120 workshops for attendees.
In one of the talks, Dr. Felipe Andrade, a medicine professor at Johns Hopkins University, unveiled a connection between oral health and other diseases.
The Times reported that Dr. Andrade pointed out a link between bacteria causing periodontitis, a severe gum disease, and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nobuhiko Kamada from the University of Michigan’s department of internal medicine revealed that oral bacteria can impact the healthy bacteria in our digestive systems. This disruption can increase the risk of developing bowel disease and colorectal cancer, the latter being the same type of cancer that claimed the life of Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek.
While the common advice has long been to brush our teeth twice daily, it’s now recommended to aim for three times a day for the best oral health outcomes.
Brushing before bed is particularly crucial. Alpdogan Kantarci, a dentistry professor at the University of Minnesota, advises investing in electric toothbrushes if not already owned.
Kantarci also suggests that people should brush their tongues. As per Healthline, tongue scraping offers benefits such as diminished bad breath (with regular practice), enhanced taste, improved overall health, and the elimination of bacteria that might lead to tooth decay.
Discussing these insights, Kantarci remarked: “We now believe that maintaining oral health might be linked to a reduced risk of over 50 systemic conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that the oral cavity can impact health in other organs, including joints, the brain, and the gut.”
Kantarci further explained that while gum disease doesn’t directly cause these conditions, chronic gum disease can influence an individual’s immune system, making them more prone to other diseases.