Health Experts On Reasons Why Poor Oral Hygiene Won't Wash

Ever climbed up the stairs to bed and felt too tired to brush your teeth? “One night won’t hurt,” you thought, as you gained an extra three minutes of slumber. 

Occasionally, we might skip brushing before bed, and it probably won’t do us any harm in the long run. 

However, Doctors and Scientists are becoming increasingly aware of how poor dental health affects our whole body health - and are taking steps to encourage people to be more knowledgeable on how good dental habits equal good overall health.

Why the concern? Surely the worst that can happen is we’ll need a filling or two (or people complain that our breath is less than fresh)?

Run your tongue over your teeth right now and see what you can feel. Do your teeth feel coated or furry? This substance is called plaque and it’s what naturally builds up on our teeth during the day when we eat, drink, and talk. 

So long as it’s brushed away twice a day and mouthwash or floss is used to get to the hard-to-reach places, you’re grand and probably doing a good job of protecting yourself from cavities. 

However, letting plaque build up on your teeth can lead to an increase in general inflammation in the body and this is what scientists believe is increasing the risk of health complications such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung illnesses, and even dementia. 

What we eat indeed affects our overall health - and we all know that eating lots of refined, processed foods - or sugary snacks and drinks can lead to problems with our weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol. 

Poor nutrition also affects our dental health too. Foods that are high in sugars (if you look at the ingredients list on pre-packaged foods anything ending in ‘ose’ will usually be sugar so lactose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, etc) are best avoided or only eaten at main mealtimes to reduce the chances of tooth damage. 

The foods we often think are good for us - such as fruits contain acids and sugars which can damage our teeth. We can’t NOT eat fruit - it offers a good source of nutrition, vitamins, and minerals for overall health. However, what we can do is make sure we’re eating particularly acidic fruits at mealtimes and not as snacks - to reduce the amount of enamel erosion and plaque build-up they cause. 

Brushing your teeth at least morning and night, using floss and mouthwash and regular trips to the dentist and hygienist are the best ways of ensuring that your dental health and overall health is tip top. A good dentist will advise on the right products to use and how to use them, too. 

We’ve asked some experts for their opinions on this topic and here’s what they said:

Why Does Oral Health Affect Our Overall Health?

“For the majority of us, brushing our teeth twice daily is something that has been drilled into us since we were children. We are aware it’s an important habit – we do it to prevent tooth decay and gum disease – but the extent to which it impacts our overall health is perhaps less known.

Far from being simply about our teeth, research shows that poor oral hygiene is linked to a myriad of health problems including Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Our mouth is the gateway to the body. All our teeth are surrounded by gums. The gums all have a blood supply. If the gums become infected and inflamed through poor oral hygiene, then bacteria and inflammatory markers can enter the bloodstream and reach other parts of the body. ” Anna Bonet, writing for inews.

What Are the Risks of Lung Disease from Poor Dental Hygiene?

“Greater risk of pneumonia. Within just minutes of brushing your teeth, sticky films of bacteria known as dental plaque begin to reform on your teeth. If this is not cleared within 24 hours, it will begin to harden, which is why it is so important to brush your teeth at least twice per day. Research has shown that lingering plaque is capable of triggering or worsening the progression of pneumonia because bacteria can swiftly relocate from the teeth into the respiratory tract. From here, they can move down into the lungs.” David Cox writing for The Telegraph.

Why Does Skipping Toothbrushing Affect Our Health?

“General disinterest in dental hygiene is a reason people do not brush their teeth at night and after lunch. Breakfast and lunch have been shown to increase the risk of intraoral deposits that remain in the mouth throughout the day and, as a result, increase the risk of dental caries and other periodontal diseases. Thus, brushing only in the morning after waking up is insufficient and implies poor oral hygiene. Furthermore, brushing one's teeth at night is crucial to maintain good oral health, which supports the hypothesis that intraoral bacterial load surges during sleep due to reduced salivary flow.” Neha Mathur writing for news-medical.net

Can Physical Therapy Help with Jaw Pain?

“Most often, yes. Jaw pain when opening or closing your mouth, especially with chewing or biting tougher foods, can be attributed to many different sources. If that pain is muscular in origin, physical therapy could be the preferred method of treatment. With some treatments, pain relief can be immediate and have lasting effects. Of course, we would still explain the benefits of stretching and gentle strengthening exercises to complete your program.” Robbie Jessen, PT at Stewart Physical Therapy

How Can Dental Health Be Integrated Into a Holistic Wellness Routine?

“Oral hygiene is a great example for clients when we’re talking about developing healthy habits: What felt like a chore as a kid became a habit we don’t really think about much. We can then extrapolate this idea of setting ourselves up into other areas. It is also a great example of practicing mindfulness. Put everything else away and really use all your senses: look at your mouth in the mirror, listen to the sound of the brush, smell and taste the toothpaste, and experience how good your mouth feels when you’re done! Finally, celebrating the wins. Oral hygiene is intimately related to our overall health, and research about its relationship to diseases as disparate as Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes is on the rise. So we try to celebrate what we are already doing to be healthier.” Liza Baker, Health Coach at Simply: Health Coaching

What Options Are Out There for Families Who Cannot Afford Dental Care?

Most of our clients have IL Medicaid for insurance and are able to get dental care by providers who accept Medicaid.  We also have a dental hygienist program at our local community college, Rock Valley College, that offers free dental care for individuals that don't have insurance. Many other community colleges across the country offer similar programs. Kelly Finch, Clinical Director at Family Counseling Services