We often think of oral health as completely separate from our overall health. Dentists are dentists and doctors are doctors. Your doctor doesn’t ask if you’ve been flossing and your dentist sure doesn’t ask if you’ve noticed any changes in digestion. Doctors will prescribe every medication under the sun before they think to check the mouth. As Mary Otto, the author of “Teeth”, puts it “It is almost as if we decapitate the body when talking about dentistry”. The separation of oral and systemic health dates back to the origins of dentistry. However, this partition doesn’t equate to oral health being any less important than systemic health.
 

There have been numerous studies and observations that have linked basic dental issues, such as cavities and tooth infections, with serious health issues. Dr. Charles Reinersten has dedicated his career as a dentist to studying oral health’s relation with the rest of the body. He found a link between heart attacks and dental infections. There are over 630,000 deaths each year from heart attacks. It is estimated now that up to 50% of these are caused by infections in the oral cavity. That is over 300,000 preventable deaths each year if only these infections had been found by a dentist. However, over 90% of tooth infections inflict no pain due to the nature of nerves in the oral cavity. Most people don’t see an expensive trip to the dentist as necessary until it is too late. 
 

The oral-systemic connection is also evident when looking at gum disease. Gum disease involves dumping harmful bacteria from the infected gum tissue directly into the bloodstream. Bacteria from the mouth have been found consistently in brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, gum disease and diabetes have a bidirectional relationship meaning that when gum disease is bad, so is diabetes. Gum disease also ignites your body’s inflammatory response. This can cause a worsening of a patient’s rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and even certain types of cancer. 
 

I’ve seen first hand the detrimental effects poor oral health can cause. A middle-aged man came into the dentist the other day because of a large mass on his tongue. He didn’t think anything of it for a couple years, and hadn’t been to a dentist in over a decade. He got a raise at work and decided to put the extra funds towards a visit to the dentist. After a simple x-ray and exam, which probably set him back around $200 after insurance, he was told he has oral cancer and needed to see a specialist. The general dentist suspected the tumor was stage 4 and had probably spread to other parts of his body. The 5-year survival rate for his suspected cancer is a little less than 30%. 
 

A 4 year old child was brought in by her sobbing mother. Out of her 20 baby teeth, 19 had cavities. 9 of these teeth were too far gone, and needed to be pulled. The mother apologized through her tears as she held her daughter's hand tight. “I’m so sorry baby” she repeated. “I’m so so sorry”. She had been out of work due to COVID layoffs, and she lost her dental benefits through her employer. A trip to the pediatric dentist 30 miles away was just not in the budget. Healthy baby teeth are crucial for successfully developing adult teeth. Now, her daughter will likely have to undergo a major jaw surgery to correct the issues caused by decayed baby teeth. 
 

Next time you think your oral health doesn’t matter that much, think again. The only way to prevent these devastating illnesses is keeping up with your oral health, including regular brushing and two trips to the dentist every year. If something seems wrong, don’t rule out your mouth. It is more important than you realize.

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