Explainer | Why good dental hygiene is essential to reduce inflammation and slow the onset of chronic diseases and ‘inflammaging’
- Bacterial overgrowth in the mouth is closely connected to chronic inflammation, a precursor to many major diseases that triggers ‘inflammaging’
- Good dental habits include tongue scraping, using an antimicrobial mouthwash, drinking green and black teas, and eating fibre-rich foods
When we think about ways to prevent heart disease, looking after our teeth and gums is probably not something that comes to mind. But in recent years, studies have established a closer link between poor oral hygiene and inflammation – a known trigger for many serious illnesses, including heart disease.
Studies that examined the association between oral health and heart health found that people with gum disease are at an increased risk of up to 25 per cent for heart disease, says Dr Derek Baram, a specialist in orthodontics at Central Smile in Hong Kong.
The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests that oral health is a strong predictor of coronary heart disease, and is a better predictor of it than other markers such as high levels of the clotting factor fibrinogen, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and high triglycerides.
Our mouth is home to billions of bacteria – this community of microorganisms is called the oral microbiome. Graeme Bradshaw, a naturopath and the founding director of the Integrated Medicine Institute in Hong Kong points to the three main organisms found in the mouth.