You may already take precautions to maintain your dental health, such as brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting the dentist on a regular basis. However, you may not realize that drinking water has a number of practical benefits for your oral health.

Water is unlike any other beverage, yet it is by far the healthiest. Our bodies are 60% water; therefore, staying hydrated assists in distributing healthy nutrients, eliminating waste, and maintaining a healthy glow on the skin and the movement of our muscles.

Water is beneficial to your teeth and gums

Here are seven reasons why drinking fluoridated water is beneficial to your teeth and gums.

1. It makes your teeth stronger

Fluoride has been a safe and effective technique to treat tooth decay in children and adults since the 1960s. It can help prevent dental decay when used in combination with excellent oral hygiene and a healthy diet.

The World Health Organization, the Australian Medical Association, the American Academy of Paediatrics, and the Australian Dental Association have all recommended water fluoridation. Drinking fluoridated water is one of the easiest and most effective strategies to help prevent cavities.

2. It cleans your mouth.

Drinking water prevents cavities and gum disease by washing away dangerous germs and food debris. Water is healthy for your teeth since it keeps your mouth clean. Plaque cannot form in a mouth that is kept clean and moisturized.

Acids present in plaque, food, and beverages destroy tooth enamel, but drinking water dilutes acids, allowing your teeth to last longer. A simple glass of water can remove stain-causing residue, eliminate bacteria that cause bad breath, and protect your teeth’ enamel. Drinking more water will make you smile brighter.

3. Water keeps your mouth moist

Did you know that saliva is almost entirely made up of water? Dry mouth is a condition caused by a lack of saliva that makes swallowing and chewing difficult. Saliva is your mouth’s first line of defence against tooth decay. It removes food residue, makes swallowing easier, and strengthens your teeth by bathing them with calcium, phosphate, and fluoride.

A dry mouth can lead to tooth decay if your saliva supply becomes depleted. Drinking plenty of water can help avoid dry mouth and guarantee that your saliva production is at its peak.

4. It contains no sugars or calories

Sweetened drinks with lots of sugar and calories combine to produce a potent mix that puts you at risk for cavities and other health problems like weight gain. In fact, research has shown that drinking water can help you lose weight. If you need a drink later, drink water guilt-free to keep your body and smile healthy.

5. Water lowers the pH of your mouth

Most of us probably don’t give much notice to the pH level of our mouths. The pH level in your mouth should be 7.0, but acidic foods and beverages can change that. This can cause tooth decay and the growth of harmful microorganisms. Fluoride, on the other hand, protects tooth enamel from decay-causing acids. The World Health Organization recommends fluorides to avoid decreased pH levels in the mouth.

6. It aids in the freshening of your breath

Bad breath is primarily caused by food residue and bacteria in your mouth. While brushing your teeth after meals can help prevent halitosis, we understand that this isn’t always practicable, such as when dining out. Fortunately, drinking water aids in the removal of these odour-causing particles, ensuring that your breath remains fresh.

7. It assists in tooth enamel restoration

Another reason that drinking water is beneficial to your teeth is remineralization. The mineral composition of your tooth enamel is higher than that of your bones. Enamel regeneration and strengthening are aided by water containing trace minerals and fluoride.

Our mouths are the gateway to the rest of our body and its functions. If our oral health starts to lack it can lead to serious health problems including respiratory issues, increased risk of dementia, and even heart disease and stroke.

Oral health is the practice of keeping our teeth free from decay and our mouth free from infection, bacteria, and inflammation which can affect our overall health.

Some ways to maintain good oral health: avoid tobacco products, brush after each meal for at least two minutes, taking care to be gentle around your gums, floss every time you brush or at least once a day, and limit sugary drinks and snacks.

Finally, if you have been putting off seeing your dentist, make that appointment today. We should get regular dental checkups at least twice a year. In addition to keeping our teeth and gums healthy, our dentist can also detect warning signs of other health conditions.

Here is more about some of the common issues linked to poor dental health.

1. Heart Disease/Stroke Risk

People with periodontal disease are two times more likely to develop heart disease and arterial narrowing as a result of bacteria and plaque entering the bloodstream through the gums.

2. Greater Risk of Dementia

Tooth loss due to poor dental health is also a risk factor for memory loss and early stage Alzheimer’s disease due to increased inflammation which can affect the brain.

3. Respiratory Issues

Bacteria from periodontal disease can travel through the bloodstream to the lungs where it can aggravate respiratory system, especially in patients who already have respiratory problems.

4. Diabetes

About 95% of US adults with diabetes also have periodontal disease and one third of them have lost teeth. This is likely because people with diabetes are more susceptible to contracting infections.

5. Erectile Dysfunction

Men with periodontal disease are 7 times likely to experience erectile dysfunction than men with good dental hygiene. This is because bacteria due to periodontal disease can inflame blood vessels and block blood flow to the genitals.

6. Risk of Premature Birth

Doctors theorize that one of the main causes of preterm birth is infection in the mother’s body. One common site of infection is the mouth

While nearly everyone knows to brush in the morning and at night and to floss daily, there are numerous other ways to help maintain or improve your oral health amid COVID-19 and in the future. Here are some strategies to consider from Dr. Leonard Weiss, chief dental officer at UnitedHealthcare:

Upgrade your toothbrush and technique

Electric toothbrushes offer several advantages over manual brushes. Some synch to an app to help people develop better oral health habits by providing personalized feedback, such as brushing duration, intensity and coverage. People should brush for a full two minutes, use short, gentle strokes, and keep the head at a 45-degree angle to the gums.

Focus on gum health

Maintaining or improving gum health can help prevent periodontal disease, which may cause tooth loss and contribute to an array of other health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and dementia. In addition to daily flossing, people can also use a water flosser, which shoots a stream of water between the teeth and can help reduce bacteria below the gum line.

Evaluate the need for a night guard

In part due to COVID-19, more than 70% of dentists surveyed reported an increase in teeth grinding and clenching among patients, conditions often associated with stress. Some people may do this during sleep, contributing to damaged teeth, gum recession and tooth loss. To help avoid this, a dentist can identify signs of this condition and create a custom nightguard.

Tap into virtual dental care

Some dentists and dental plans are making available telephone and video consultations. The alternatives to an in-person visit offer a starting point for receiving advice and guidance. The consultation will help determine the need for in-person care, helping avoid often-unnecessary trips to the emergency department for a late-night toothache.

Children and oral health: where do we start?

Tooth decay is the most common childhood infectious disease, affecting 621 million children worldwide whose cavities are untreated.

Dental decay is also one – if not the – most common causes of hospital admission in young children.

Public Health England conducted an oral health survey in 2019-2020. It reported on the prevalence and severity of dental decay found in three-year-old children.

This indicated that in England, 10.7% of three-year-old children surveyed have experience of dental decay. Of these children 7.2% had one or more teeth extracted.

The report also highlights the impact of poor oral health disproportionally affects the most vulnerable and socially disadvantaged individuals and groups in society.

This brings tears to my eyes. I am a mum of three and it makes me sad to think that some children in the UK experience poor oral health, which could be avoided, and which can impact negatively on both their physical and mental health now and later in life.

Fighting oral health inequalities

Thanks to support from Philips, I embarked on a Smile Revolution business course run by Victoria Wilson. The aim is to help dental professionals reflect on what matters to them most and explore how to turn this into a business proposition.

At this early stage I believe I would like my focus to be on helping children. Especially vulnerable children whose parents or carers might have other priorities, which means they overlook children’s oral hygiene.

So far we have discussed children of parents who have alcohol or drug problems, children in foster care or in environments where there clearly is a lack of education. We also discussed boarding schools and childcare scenarios. And so on where carers are in loco perentis.

Looking after children is challenging in the best circumstances. So when parents or carers have difficulties of their own, pacifying their children with sweets and treats is an easy route. We have all been there!

There are also some 55,000 foster families in the UK. They care for almost 80,000 children and young people.

I would imagine that if you are fostering a child, oral health is not necessarily a priority. Carers are often too busy helping them come to terms with trauma, and managing any emotional and mental health issues they are experiencing.

However, I believe there is the potential to make a significant difference. And as a dental professional I should consider a project to continue the fight against oral health inequalities.

Make brushing fun and interactive

I am not yet at the stage when I can map out all the details of my project. I am still working through the plan as part of the course. Victoria Wilson is helping me shape my business plan week by week.

I am also very lucky to work with Dr Ahmad Nounu who truly values every member of his team. He has kindly agreed to support me though the course.

He has also agreed to share an image of a child’s case we have recently worked on at Black Swan Dental. This exemplifies the need for action.

Dr Nounu commented: ‘I really admire what Kelly is working towards and support her wholeheartedly. I can’t wait to see the final project plan she develops.

‘In our practice we do a lot of preventative work to ensure that the risk of tooth decay is minimised amongst children. This includes suggesting ways to make brushing fun.

‘I also recommend dedicated products such as the Sonicare4kids sonic toothbrush to parents and their children. This can make sure that their oral health routines are as engaging as they are effective.

‘As the brush is connected to an app it makes brushing fun and interactive. Kids can time their brushing and eradicate tooth gunk from Sparkly – the character who appears on their screens as they clean.

‘There is that perception that Sonicare brushes are high end and expensive. But actually some in the range are very affordable and a family can share the same power handle and just use their own dedicated brush head.’

Motor difficulties impacting daily living activities, a worsening in oral hygiene, tooth wear, and burning mouth syndrome were all associated with a poorer oral health-related quality of life.

Dentists need be attentive that care is given to help prevent further deterioration in oral health and life quality for these patients, its researchers noted.

The study “Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease” was published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation.

Oral health is affected by Parkinson’s disease, with issues such as dry mouth (a condition called xerostomia), drooling, and difficulties in swallowing.

Scientists at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam set out to do what they reported would be a first study of oral health-related quality of life in Parkinson’s patients living in the Netherlands, and factors that may associate with it.

Increasing difficulties with movement and motor control over time can limit oral hygiene, the team noted, which “can increase the incidence of dental pathology, resulting in, for example, dental pain and, therefore, reduced quality of life.”

These scientists evaluated oral health-related quality of life in 341 Parkinson’s patients (mean age, 65.5) compared with that reported by 411 adults without Parkinson’s (mean age, 62.6), who served as controls.

Oral health-related quality of life was assessed using the Dutch 14-item version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), a validated questionnaire whose 14 items are scored by responses ranging from one (never) to five (very often). Higher scores indicate a worse oral health-related quality of life.

Parkinson’s patients had significantly higher scores on the OHIP-14 — indicative of poorer oral health — when compared with controls (mean of 19.1 vs 16.5), an analysis of results showed.

Mean OHIP-14 scores were also three points higher among patients younger than 75 compared with mean scores of those 75 or older. But this difference was not statistically significant, meaning it could be do to chance.

Several factors were seen in further analyses to significantly correlate in an inverse or negative way with oral health-related life quality. These included motor symptoms affecting daily life experiences, a worsening of oral health during the disease’s course, tooth wear, and possible burning mouth syndrome (a permanent burning sensation in the mouth without an obvious cause).

Being “dentate,” which refers to having a sufficient set of teeth, including teeth with serrated edges, associated with a better oral-health quality of life.

“Although problems concerning oral health are probably subordinate to other problems present in PD [Parkinson’s disease] patients, this article suggests that the OHRQoL [oral health-related quality of life] may be impaired in patients with PD,” the researchers wrote.

“By being aware of this, dentists may be more alert and thus improve PD patients’ oral health to prevent further deterioration of their OHRQoL,” they concluded.

I started a regular yoga practice during my diploma in dental hygiene and therapy.

It helped me focus and stay calm before exams. It also helps reduce daily stress on my mind and body.

I started with short Youtube videos at home and fell in love with the feeling it gave me and how it changed my mindset and improved my physical strength and flexibility.

After qualifying I continued my yoga practice and found my patients and workplaces commented on my calm and gentle approach. I believe yoga has changed how I think and deal with stressful situations.

During the first lockdown I decided to take it one step further and complete my yoga teacher training. I wanted to share the tools I’d learnt with the world.

Now I offer a weekly yoga practice to my dental team. They love the space it gives them, mentally and physically. It allows them to reflect on the day or just relax.

Contributing factors

The NHS now recognises and promotes yoga as a safe practice. It states: ‘There’s some evidence that regular yoga practice helps people with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches and pains, depression and stress.’

With this information and yoga being an easily accessible practice to everyone, it’s exciting to think it could benefit our dental teams and patients alike.

As dental professionals we value evidence to drive our best practice. We know that the evidence exists to support links between stress and increased inflammation in the body and the mouth.

Could we then start to think about how we could offer our patients more advice on how to reduce the ever-increasing stresses of everyday life. This could contribute to their oral diseases such as dental caries or periodontal disease.

Maybe we can start by having the knowledge to direct patients to yoga resources that already exist on the NHS website.

Other yoga benefits

The links between the benefits of yoga and dentistry don’t stop with stress.

Regular yoga practice can help to improve strength and flexibility in the muscles surrounding the spine, neck, shoulders and stomach. This has a positive effect on posture.

I know how much my posture impacts my clinical practice. As well as the pain I can experience if I compromise my position even just for one or two patients.

Regular yoga practice definitely helps me to be more aware of my body and mindful of my positioning. As well as being physically strong and healthy to support my body for the manual strain that our job entails.

As dental health professionals we are role models to our patients, our colleagues and the public. Therefore, now more than ever, it’s important we do everything we can to stay physically and mentally healthy to be able to provide the best possible care.

Yoga could have a positive impact on you and your patients. And if nothing else, it’s a great way to keep fit and relax after a long day in surgery.

When untreated, caries can lead to deeper infections, pain, trouble eating, speaking, learning, and other chronic diseases. However, only 1.5% of all children receive preventive dental care every year. Furthermore, children in low-income households have higher rates of dental caries than children in high-income households. Good oral health starting in childhood lays the foundation for lifelong oral and overall health.

Childhood caries are an infection that happens when mouth bacteria and sugars interact with teeth. Over time, these bacteria create acids from sugars that break down tooth enamel. Protective factors like fluoride can help strengthen teeth after acid exposures. Other preventive measures include avoiding sugary foods and drinks, brushing teeth twice daily, and visiting the dentist regularly.

Fluoride works to prevent caries in 3 ways: preventing tooth breakdown, helping teeth get stronger, and preventing bacteria from causing tooth decay. Fluoride is available through many sources. Water fluoridation programs are proven opportunities to help whole communities. If your child’s community does not have adequate fluoride levels in the water supply, fluoride supplements are recommended. For infants to age 3 years, parents should brush their teeth with toothpaste containing fluoride as soon as baby teeth come in by applying a smear of toothpaste (or the size of a grain of rice) to a toothbrush and brushing twice daily. For children 3 years and older or when the child can spit, the recommended amount of fluoride toothpaste is the size of a pea. Also, children 6 years and older can use fluoride mouth rinses, especially if they are considered at higher risk for cavities.

Dentists start seeing children at age 1 year. In addition, many pediatric and family practices apply fluoride varnish when children come for preventive health visits. During the examination, the clinician will dry the teeth with gauze and use a small brush on their teeth to apply the varnish. The child can be on the examination table if they are cooperative or in their parent’s lap if they are younger. Children can drink or eat soft foods right away, but parents should not brush their child’s teeth that evening so the fluoride can have longer contact time with the teeth. They can start regular, twice-daily, brushing the following day. Also, the dentist should refer the child to a dental home if they do not have one.

Some parents have heard concerns and myths about fluoride. Rarely, teeth can be exposed to high amounts of fluoride, which causes permanent white streaks called fluorosis. However, the risk of fluorosis decreases if a child is supervised while brushing their teeth and does not receive additional fluoride if the water already has good fluoride levels. Other fears associated with fluoride include low IQ or cancer. These are not true. Fluoride varnish is safe and effective to apply.

All these different ways of getting fluoride are important to avoid and reduce childhood caries. Parents, dentists, and physicians should work together to find the best ways to prevent dental caries in children, determine their risk for developing caries, and offer types of fluoride available for children at each age group.

The JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page is a public service of JAMA Pediatrics. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your child’s medical condition, JAMA Pediatrics suggests that you consult your child’s physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, email reprints@jamanetwork.com.

In a paper published in Applied Materials & Interfaces, a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine lay out their platform.

The novel implant would implement two key technologies. One is a nanoparticle-infused material that resists bacterial colonisation. And the second is an embedded light source to conduct phototherapy, powered by the natural motions of the mouth, such as chewing or toothbrushing.

“Phototherapy can address a diverse set of health issues,” Dr Geelsu Hwang said.

“But once a biomaterial is implanted, it’s not practical to replace or recharge a battery. We are using a piezoelectric material, which can generate electrical power from natural oral motions to supply a light that can conduct phototherapy, and we find that it can successfully protect gingival tissue from bacterial challenge.”

The material the researchers explored was barium titanate (BTO), which has piezoelectric properties that are leveraged in applications such as capacitators and transistors, but has not yet been explored as a foundation for anti-infectious implantable biomaterials.

To test its potential as the foundation for a dental implant, the team first used discs embedded with nanoparticles of BTO and exposed them to Streptococcus mutans, a primary component of the bacterial biofilm responsible for tooth decay commonly known as dental plaque.

They found that the discs resisted biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Discs with higher concentrations of BTO were better at preventing biofilms from binding.

While earlier studies had suggested that BTO might kill bacteria outright using reactive oxygen species generated by light-catalysed or electric polarisation reactions, the researchers did not find this to be the case due to the short-lived efficacy and off-target effects of these approaches. Instead, the material generates enhanced negative surface charge that repels the negatively charged cell walls of bacteria. It’s likely that this repulsion effect would be long-lasting.

“We wanted an implant material that could resist bacterial growth for a long time because bacterial challenges are not a one-time threat,” Dr Hwang said.

The power-generating property of the material was sustained and in tests over time the material did not leach. It also demonstrated a level of mechanical strength comparable to other materials used in dental applications.

Finally, the material did not harm normal gingival tissue in the researchers’ experiments, supporting the idea that this could be used without ill effect in the mouth.

For Dental Health Week (2-8 August) this week, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) wants to alert Australians to the very close links between what goes on in their mouths and the far-reaching effects on the rest of the body.

The latest research across a range of studies (2) has shown that people with advanced gum disease (periodontitis) have a much higher risk of a heart attack than people without it.(See Background at end of release for more.)

In another study (3) conducted recently by Prof Joerg Eberhard, an oral health scientist and Chair of Lifespan Oral Health at the University of Sydney’s School of Dentistry, it was found that not brushing your teeth caused systemic inflammation which could prompt serious cardiac events.

“We asked a cohort of healthy young people with no cardiovascular risk factors, to not brush the same quadrant of their mouths, that’s seven teeth, for three weeks, to see what effect it would have on their health,” explained Prof. Eberhard.

“After three weeks we measured the inflammation in that quadrant of the mouth and we found the inflammation caused by not brushing there, had reached other parts of their body.

“But as soon as they started brushing that quadrant again, C-reactive protein, a risk marker for heart attacks, went down to normal levels. It’s another clear and concerning link between mouth health and whole of body health.”

Extensive research over decades has found that the main conditions that link the mouth with the rest of the body are cardiovascular, Type 2 diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes (4).

Studies are also being conducted into the effects of periodontitis on pregnant women. Some early data suggests that if the gum disease is treated, the risk of having a premature baby declines.

The ADA’s Oral Health Promoter and dentist Dr Mikaela Chinotti said: “These serious health conditions and events can be significantly reduced if people regularly look after their mouths.

“That means brushing twice a day with a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste, flossing daily, eating a diet low in sugar and seeing your dentist regularly for checkups. These typically include a scale and clean which is vital for removing the bacteria that build up and start the process of periodontitis and inflammation.”

Another recent international study (5) by a group of cardiologists and dentists showed that treatment for gum disease reduced blood pressure (BP) normally only achieved through medications, because high BP can come about due to a loss of elasticity in blood vessels and this loss can be caused by inflammation from gum disease.

Lifestyle also plays a big role in oral health: in a three year study (6) of people from Queensland with poor oral health including gum disease, Prof. Eberhard and colleagues found that by adopting better teeth brushing techniques, going regularly to the dentist and adopting a healthier diet all led to reduced systemic markers which are predicters for a heart attack.

The ADA’s Dr Chinotti explained that periodontitis signs can be difficult to spot and may include bleeding from the gums and very little or no pain, and without treatment, the condition can worsen over time until affected teeth may finally become loose.

Risk factors include older age, smoking, drinking alcohol above recommended levels, the presence of diabetes and poor oral health practices.

“While periodontitis damage can’t be reversed, you can stop its progression by seeing a dental practitioner for treatment, including professional cleaning of the teeth above and below the gums which the patient cannot access, which halts the disease and reduces inflammation.”

More advanced cases may need surgical treatment performed by a specialist periodontist under a local anaethetic to access difficult to reach areas under the gums.

“Regular dental visits are the best way to keep on top of your oral health and detect and manage conditions such as periodontitis, in their earliest stages of development.

“This is in addition to those other oral health basics that add up to only about six minutes a day but which protect the health of your whole body and not just your mouth.

“For too long mouth health has been separated from body health. It’s time to put the mouth back in the body.

“The ADA hopes that by making this mouth and whole-of-body relationship more widely known to Australians, they’ll understand oral health is an integral part of general health.”

One of the many indirect negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is that many people have been unable to see their dentists for routine care.

The strict measures implemented to prevent the spread of infection have severely reduced access to dental services. This situation led to a rapidly growing backlog of patients in need of oral treatment and care.

In the United Kingdom, for example, a survey revealed major delays in appointments for National Health Service dentistry. In response, many people have resorted to paying extra for private care.

Beyond physical discomfort, poor oral health has significant knock-on effects, including an increased risk of cardiovascular diseaseTrusted Source, research suggests.

One longitudinal study found that “oral frailty,” a measure that includes the number of remaining teeth, chewing ability, and difficulties eating and swallowing, was a risk factor for physical frailty, disability, and mortality from all causes.

A new study led by researchers at Shimane University, in Izumo, Japan, has found small but significantly increased risks of diabetes and sarcopenia, which is loss of muscle and weakness due to aging, among older adults with oral frailty.

The study paper has been published in PLOS ONETrusted Source.

“Although oral health might affect the overall health of an individual, it has been neglected in the public health domain,” the authors write.

Annual health examination

The research was part of the university’s Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education study, which collaborates with an annual health examination program in Ohnan, a small town in Japan’s Shimane prefecture.

A total of 635 people aged between 40 and 74 years took part in the study.

To assess the participants’ chewing ability, or “masticatory function,” the researchers asked them to chew a gummy jelly as energetically as possible for 15 seconds without swallowing it, then spit out what was left.

The team then counted the number of the pieces of the candy that remained.

They also counted how many teeth each participant had and measured their calf circumference twice for both legs, as well as their skeletal muscle mass and handgrip strength.

To assess sarcopenia, the researchers applied a standard diagnostic algorithm that incorporates muscle strength, mass, and physical performance.

The investigators noted the participants’ self-reported diagnoses of diabetes and also screened them for the condition by testing their levels of serum hemoglobin A1C.

In their analysis, they adjusted the results to account for the participants’ sex, age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and level of physical activity.

They found that having fewer remaining teeth and poor chewing ability were significantly associated with a weaker handgrip and possible sarcopenia. Fewer teeth and poor chewing ability were also significantly associated with diabetes.

There were no statistically significant associations with calf circumference or skeletal muscle mass.

Possible links with diabetes

The researchers write:

    “Our findings suggest that improvement in oral health, including the maintenance of masticatory function and remaining teeth, may contribute to the prevention of sarcopenia and diabetes mellitus in older adults.”

They speculate that people with reduced chewing ability or fewer teeth may have an increased risk of diabetes as a result of eating more soft, sugar-rich foods and having shorter mealtimes.

Both factors would cause a bigger spike in blood glucose levels after eating.

Interventions to maintain chewing ability, through the prevention of tooth loss and use of dentures, could therefore reduce the likelihood of these aging-related conditions.

“According to our data, improving mastication and denture use may reduce the risk of diabetes and sarcopenia,” senior author Shozo Yano, M.D., Ph.D., told Medical News Today

The authors also cite evidence that gum disease, which can cause tooth loss, can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity and impaired glucose tolerance.

“Loss of teeth is strongly related to periodontal disease and probably to systemic inflammation, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and sarcopenia,” said Dr. Yano, who is part of the Nutrition Support Team at Shimane University Hospital.

He advised older people to eat more slowly and brush their teeth after meals. By taking care of their oral health, they would help maintain their overall health, he emphasized.

Limitations of the study

The associations between oral frailty, sarcopenia, and diabetes that the study identified were statistically significant but relatively small, in the order of 2–6%. The authors acknowledge that increasing the number of patients could lead to a statistically powerful association.

The researchers also acknowledge that their study was unable to establish any causal relationships due to its cross-sectional design.

In addition, they did not account for potentially important features of oral health, such as gum disease, denture use, and brushing teeth.

“Thus, future longitudinal studies are essential for investigating these associations,” they conclude.