The condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall health. Find out how oral health is linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more.
Taking care of your teeth isn't just about having a nice smile and pleasant breath. Recent research has found a number of links between oral health and overall health. While in many cases, the nature of this link still isn't clear — researchers have yet to conclude whether the connections are causal or correlative — what is certain is that the condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall physical health.
Oral Health and Diabetes
Doctors have known for years that type 2 diabetics have an increased incidence of periodontitis Nick Vigil Youth Jersey , or gum disease. "We found that people who had higher levels of periodontal disease had a twofold risk of developing type 2 diabetes over that time period compared to people with low levels or no gum disease," explains Ryan Demmer, PhD, associate researcher at the department of epidemiology at the Mailman School and the lead author.
Oral Health and Heart Disease
As with diabetes, the connection between poor oral health and cardiovascular conditions has been recognized — the two are often found together — but it still hasn't been determined conclusively whether or not there is a direct causal relationship between them. (One reason is that there are a number of other potential risk factors — such as smoking and old age — that can lead both to gum disease and heart disease.) After removing the effects of the other risk factors of age Joe Mixon Youth Jersey , gender, and smoking, it was found that there was an independent relationship between gum disease and heart disease, says Moise Desvarieux, MD John Ross Youth Jersey , PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School and lead author of the study.
Pregnancy Complications and Gum Disease
For many pregnant women, gum infections stem from the fluctuating hormone levels that come with pregnancy, says Marsha Rubin, DDS Dre Kirkpatrick Youth Jersey , practicing diplomat of special-care dentistry at New York-PresbyterianWeill Cornell, who sees many pregnant patients in her practice. Others neglect their oral care during pregnancy, since they have much on their minds, she adds. While this theory has not yet been confirmed, a 2001 study found that pregnant women who develop gum disease between weeks 21 and 24 are four to seven times more likely to give birth before week 37. There is evidence that poor gum health in the extreme can lead to low birth weight as well.
Pneumonia and Gum Disease
There has been a link established between poor oral health and pneumonia Vontaze Burfict Youth Jersey , though much of the research focuses on high-risk populations. A 2008 study of elderly participants found that the number who developed pneumonia was 3.9 times higher in patients with periodontal infection than in those free from it. "The lungs are very close to the mouth," says Rubin. "Even in a healthy mouth there is lots of bacteria, but bacteria
Bom Chicka Wah Wah
Thema drucken
15.12.2018 06:58
Antworten
