How does oral health impact your overall health?

If left unchecked, harmful bacteria growing in your mouth can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and bad breath. 

Oral health is the health of your teeth, gums, and everything else in your mouth.

Many scientists suspect that there are links between oral health problems and other issues, like forms of heart disease, pregnancy complications, and pneumonia.

You can support your oral health by brushing your teeth and flossing regularly, avoiding smoking, and cutting down on foods and drinks that are high in sugar. 

Conditions linked to oral health

The collection of bacteria and other microbes in your mouth is called your oral microbiome. 

When your oral microbiome has too many harmful bacteria, the imbalance is called dysbiosis.

These health issues include: 

• Pregnancy complications: Research has associated harmful bacteria linked with gum disease and the risks of premature birth and preeclampsia. This condition can lead to dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy.

• Cardiovascular diseases: Studies point to links between oral dysbiosis and various forms of heart disease. One reason could be that harmful oral bacteria get into the bloodstream, leading to infection, increased inflammation, and blood clotting.

• Pneumonia: Research suggests that people with tooth decay may have an increased risk of pneumonia, regardless of age and health status. One reason could be that harmful oral bacteria travel into our lungs. 

• Rheumatoid arthritis: People with gum disease may be more likely to have this condition. Research has shown that people with severe rheumatoid arthritis tend to have more signs of harmful oral bacteria in their bloodstreams. This could play a role in triggering the disease.

• Diabetes: Diabetes and some diabetes medications can reduce how much saliva you produce. Saliva helps wash away bits of food that harmful bacteria could grow on. It also contains minerals that help fight tooth decay. People with diabetes have high levels of sugar in their saliva, too, which bacteria can feed on.

• Parkinson’s disease: Some research suggests that people with Parkinson’s disease may experience more bleeding with gum disease, even when they clean their teeth regularly.

• Obesity: Some studies have found links between specific oral bacteria and weight gain. Others have shown that people with obesity have more harmful bacteria in their oral microbiomes. But it’s too soon to say exactly how the two conditions influence each other.

• Cancers: Research associates poor oral health with a higher risk of a form of throat cancer. Studies have also noted that tooth loss and mouth sores from dentures are both associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer.

• Alzheimer’s disease: More research is needed, but poor gum health could increase the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Separately, research has associated tooth loss with these conditions.

Prof. Felice Jacka briefly discussed research into a link between dementia and the oral microbiome on the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast.

If you’re interested in the latest research on diet and nutrition, including new insights from ZOE’s own scientists, you might enjoy our newsletter. You can sign up using the form below.

Causes of oral disease

The main causes of oral health diseases are:

• Eating too much sugar: The bacteria in your mouth convert free sugars into acid. “Free sugars” are added sugars in foods and drinks plus the sugar already in honey, syrup, fruit juices, and purees. Over time, this acid eats into your teeth, leading to cavities.

• Poor nutrition: A balanced diet, with enough protein and a variety of vegetables, provides minerals and vitamins for strong tooth enamel and healthy gums and saliva. Restrictive diets, or those high in ultra-processed foods, could stop you from getting the nutrients you need.

• Poor dental hygiene: If we don’t regularly brush our teeth, plaque containing harmful bacteria forms and hardens, becoming difficult to remove. These bacteria can cause cavities, infections, and eventually tooth loss, as well as gum disease.

• Smoking: Smoking tobacco is second only to poor hygiene when it comes to risk factors for gum disease. It’s also a leading cause of mouth cancers, as well as bad breath.

• Drinking alcohol: Regularly drinking alcohol could change your oral microbiome, increasing levels of potentially harmful bacteria and reducing levels of “good” bacteria. Alcohol may reduce the amount and quality of your saliva, too. Plus, it’s linked with oral cancers.

Symptoms of oral disease

The symptoms of poor oral health vary, depending on the condition. However, see a dentist if you’re regularly experiencing:  

• bleeding or swollen gums

• bad breath

• toothache or other mouth pain

• loose or wobbly teeth

• dry mouth

How to improve oral health and prevent disease

Good oral hygiene is essential, and here are some tips:

• Brush your teeth 2–3 times a day. Evening brushing is very important.

• Floss once a day, preferably before bed.

• Cut back on sugar.

• Cut back on acidic foods and drinks, like fruit juice and fizzy drinks.

Avoiding smoking is also crucial for your oral and overall health.

It’s a major risk factor for both gum disease and oral cancers. Smoking can also cause many other cancers, heart disease, and lung diseases, among other conditions.

Nutrition and oral health

What you eat and drink is just as important as your hygiene for maintaining good oral health. 

Cutting down on sugar is good for your oral and overall health. But it’s not always easy to spot sources of sugar.

In our article on added sugars, we’ve listed different names sugar can have on labels and surprising products that contain sugar.

You can also cut down on free sugar by reducing your portion sizes or making swaps. So, you might:

• Choose a smaller slice of cake for a treat and add some yogurt and fruit.

• Swap a sugary soda for water, tea, or milk.

• Swap out candy for fruit or nuts.

You can learn how your blood sugar levels change after you eat different combinations of food with ZOE’s personalized nutrition program. Find out more by taking our free quiz.

Above, we discussed foods to avoid. But what you do eat is also important for your oral health.

Getting enough calcium and phosphorus will help maintain the enamel that protects your teeth.

Foods rich in calcium include:

• dairy products, such as milk and yogurt

• leafy greens, such as spinach and collard greens

• nuts, such as almonds

You can get phosphorus from protein-rich foods, like:

• fish, such as salmon

• poultry

• eggs

• nuts and seeds

• cooked legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils

Also, many fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, which helps keep your gums healthy. They often have vitamin A, too, another nutrient that helps build tooth enamel.

Meanwhile, the fiber and water in plant foods keep the sugar in these foods from being too concentrated. They also stimulate saliva production, which helps wash away acids and bits of food from your teeth.

Summary

Without good oral hygiene, harmful bacteria can build up in your mouth.

This can lead to gum disease and tooth decay. Plus, it may contribute to health problems elsewhere in your body.

Scientists don’t fully understand the relationships yet — but evidence suggests links between oral health and several conditions, including pregnancy complications, pneumonia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Symptoms of oral disease include swollen or bleeding gums, bad breath, toothaches, and wobbly teeth.

Regularly brushing and flossing, avoiding smoking, cutting down on sugar, and including more plants in your diet can help keep your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy.