ORAL health is part of your gut health

When we think of gut health - we mostly think about what is happening in our puku but oral health is part of gut health. 

Digestion starts in the mouth with the action of chewing as well as the release of a digestive enzyme amylase. We also have an oral microbiome, which research is learning more about. 

Once again there is a bidirectional relationship between our oral health and other systems in the body.  For example, there is a bidirectional relationship between oral health and our cardiometabolic system. Periodontitis (gum disease) is an inflammatory disease of the soft and hard tissues supporting the teeth that has been associated with cardiometabolic disease. A meta-analysis found that individuals with diabetes had an increased risk of developing peridontal disease and those with peridontal disease also had an increased risk of developing diabetes (Sanz et al., 2021). Other research showed that even people without diabetes had more chances of having higher hba1c (a marker of glucose control) if they had oral health issues (King et al., 2022). 

The risk factors for periodontitis are poor oral hygiene and also risk factors known for cardiometabolic disease, including tobacco smoking, poor nutrition, poor sleep and physical inactivity.

Another important oral health presentation associated with increased risk of oral health conditioners as well as cardiometabolic disease is dry mouth. Dry mouth further impacts mucous membranes, reducing beneficial bacteria and creating conditions for pathogenic bacteria to thrive. Excessive mouth breathing can exacerbate this as well as sleep issues associated with mouth breathing such as snoring and sleep apnea. 

Inflammation created by bacteria in the mouth can also lead to systemic inflammation, which further exacerbates possible underlying mechanisms associated with cardiometabolic conditions. Furthermore, pathogenic bacteria in the mouth can also be found systemically. 

Taking care of your oral health is important beyond just what is happening in your mouth. 

—> make sure to see the dentist regularly and follow their advice for maintaining good oral hygiene 

—> Take care of your metabolic health (read previous blog post on this)

—> make sure you are mostly breathing through your nose, especially when you sleep

—> if sleep issues like snoring persist, consider further investigation for possible sleep apnea

—> support gut health in general (read this post for more information)

—> seek personalised holistic health support if symptoms persist

If you would like more support in this area....

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