How gum health is connected to overall health, longevity

Longevity is all the rage, from anti-aging skin treatments to diets optimized for living longer − but while you may be paying attention to what foods you’re putting in your mouth, are you paying enough attention to your mouth itself?

Experts say your gums − yes, that often-overlooked part of your dental hygiene routine − can have a major impact on your overall health and may be aging you faster than you think.

“More and more people are seeing the mouth as the gateway to the body and understanding that oral health and systemic health are not just correlated, but they’re actually causally related,” Dr. Jason Auerbach, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon known as @bloodytoothguy on social media, told USA TODAY.

What is gum disease? How is it linked to health?

Gum disease, otherwise known as gingivitis or periodontitis, is generalized inflammation of the soft tissues around the teeth.

“It’s basically an infectious disease, but it yields significant amount of inflammation, and that inflammation is really where the concern lies,” Auerbach said. “We’re finding that there’s increased risk for cognitive decline, including things like Alzheimer’s, and patients who are who have had chronic inflammation in the soft tissue.”

With more inflammation comes narrower blood vessels, which decreases the amount of blood flow to organs like the brain and heart, Auerbach explained.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees that untreated periodontitis can make chronic conditions, such as diabetes, worse. Other conditions linked to gum disease include increased risk of heart disease, respiratory diseases like pneumonia, Alzheimer’s disease and even certain cancers, according to the American Academy of Periodontology.

“Researchers found that men with gum disease were 49% more likely to develop kidney cancer, 54% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer and 30% more likely to develop blood cancers,” the organization’s website notes.

A recent study out of Japan also correlated a significant increase in lifespan with the number of repaired or healthy teeth that you have versus patients who are without teeth. 

“So it’s not even just gingival health and soft tissue health, it’s really health of your mouth overall that speaks to the overall health of your body,” he said.

How to prevent oral inflammation

It may seem obvious, but proper oral hygiene is what prevents oral inflammation that can lead to overall health issues. This includes regular dental cleanings, brushing twice a day and flossing − a step Auerbach calls “tremendously important” but says patients aren’t doing it “nearly as much as they should be.””These are the types of strategies that most patients can and should use to really catch things early and to keep themselves as healthy as possible for as long as possible,” he said.

When it comes to your oral hygiene routine, “consistency is so much more important than perfection,” he added.

Don’t get give up because of bleeding gums (an indicator you’re not flossing enough) or worries about technique.

“The key is start and then just do it every day,” he said. “Pick up the floss or use a water flosser.”