Maintaining good oral hygiene isn’t only important for your teeth, but is also integral to the prevention of diseases like dementia, new research reveals.
Brushing your teeth three times a day and regularly attending dental check-ups can reduce the risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions, including dementia and arthritis.
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It’s long been known that oral health impacts our overall wellbeing, with previous research linking the spread of bacteria from oral diseases to Alzheimer’s, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and more.
A panel of experts emphasised the significance of this at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an annual conference that took place in Arizona, United States last week.
“We now think that maintaining your teeth in health may be associated with a reduced risk of more than 50 systemic conditions,” Alpdogan Kantarci, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry, said at the event titled The Mouth as a Gateway to Overall Health.
“Research is now showing that in people with mild or moderate diseases, those who are brushing and taking care of their teeth or seeing a dentist and having advanced cleanings, are showing much better cognitive responses,” he continued.
Kantarci highlighted periodontitis, an aggressive form of gum disease, as a key risk factor for developing conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and dementia.
When bacteria from oral diseases migrate into the bloodstream and brain, it causes chronic inflammation. This can trigger the immune system to attack joints, and can also accelerate the formation of plaques, which disrupt neurotransmitters and lead to cognitive decline.
There is no research to suggest that gum disease causes dementia or arthritis.
Where is dental hygiene worst in Europe?
While the United Kingdom has a reputation of bad teeth, many other European countries also continue to struggle with their dental hygiene.
A 2022 study found Norway to be the most tooth-conscious country, while Serbia ranked lowest alongside Latvia, and Poland. For dental visits, the Netherlands came out on top, while Portugal, Ireland, and the UK showed some of the lowest attendance rates.
A complex mixture of socioeconomic factors is to blame for this disparity, with high costs, long waiting lists and distance creating inaccessibility. Older people are affected most, with EU residents aged 65 and older reporting higher rates of unmet dental needs compared to those aged 16-44, according to 2024 Eurostat figures.
Citing the UK’s obesity epidemic, Kantarci said that the Western world’s reliance on ultra processed foods was also to blame for worsening dental health: “We think that the Western world has better access to oral care but you would be surprised that all of the processed food, the soft diet, lack of exercise, obesity and so on are really predisposing us, much more so than anywhere in the world.”
The most recent Adult Oral Health Survey (AOHS) reported that 41 percent of UK residents had tooth decay, a stark increase from 28 percent in 2009. Almost half of those surveyed also said that the state of their teeth greatly impacted their daily life.
Kantarci recommended that people prioritise brushing their teeth before bed and after eating anything sugary. He also suggested using an electronic toothbrush and cleaning your tongue, which can harbour just as much bacteria.
“The answer is very clear, that we have to improve oral health awareness for systemic health.”
