You should not overlook the fact that good dental health is vital for your general body health as well as longevity.

“The terms oral health and general health should not be interpreted as separate entities. Oral health is integral to general health: oral health means more than healthy teeth and you cannot be healthy without oral health,”
—Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services in Oral Health  America: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000.

A number of oral health issues can negatively affect general health and longevity. These oral health issues can be divided into 4 main categories.

1. Dental/Oral diseases

• Periodontal (gum) disease
• Tooth decay

2. Dental Issues Generated From imperfect dental treatment

• Infected root canals or failed root canals
• Cavitations – infected extraction sites

3. Amalgam fillings, fluoride, and non-compatible dental materials

4. Other diseases of the oral cavity or other diseases with early signs in the mouth

All of these dental/oral issues can affect your general health and, ultimately, longevity. The two main dental diseases that can have serious harmful effects on your well being are gum (periodontal) disease and tooth decay. Gum disease and tooth decay are caused by poor oral hygiene and poor dental care habits. While the basic cause of tooth decay and gum disease is poor oral hygiene, other factors are also involved. These include diet, smoking, vitamin deficiency, and toxic substances such as mercury. Of the two, gum disease (especially advanced-form gum disease) is much more harmful to overall health than tooth decay.

Technically, gum disease is broken down into two categories: gingivitis, the initial and milder form of gum disease, and periodontitis, the more advanced and serious form that has infected both the soft tissue and the surrounding bone. Bacteria infection is the main culprit in dental decay as well as gum diseases. Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums, which may also affect the bone supporting the teeth. These microorganisms produce acids and toxins which in turn causing inflammation in the gums and thus in the body’s circulation system, exposing the body to harmful bacteria. Plaque is a sticky colorless film of bacteria that constantly builds up, thickens and hardens on the teeth. If it is not removed by daily brushing and flossing, this plaque can harden and contribute to infections in the gums.

Tooth decay is the process that results in a cavity (dental caries). It occurs when bacteria in your mouth make acids that eat away at a tooth. If not treated, tooth decay can cause pain, infection, and tooth loss. The combination of bacteria and food causes tooth decay. A clear, sticky substance called plaque that contains bacteria is always forming on your teeth and gums. As the bacteria feed on the sugars in the food you eat, they make acids. The acids attack the teeth for 20 minutes or more after eating. Over a period of time, these acids destroy tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay.

Part I. The Impact of Dental Diseases To Overall Health and Longevity

Untreated gum disease can not only lead to loss of teeth but also can increase the risk of more serious diseases. Research and studies have shown the link between untreated periodontal (gum) disease and/ or tooth decay and certain diseases.

1. Respiratory Disease

The oral cavity can act as a reservoir for respiratory pathogens. These pathogens have been found in plaque in deep periodontal pockets.

2. Heart Disease and Stroke

The American Heart Association has released a report that concluded that regular teeth brushing and flossing could help prevent heart disease and stroke. It seems that the bacteria that cause gum diseases and their by-products can travel through the blood stream and clog or otherwise damage the crucial blood vessels leading to the heart or brain. This can cause heart attack, stroke or other types of cardiovascular disease. (Advanced) gum disease could increase the risk of heart attack by 25% – people with advanced periodontitis had a 25% increased risk of coronary heart disease.

Poor oral health also increases the risk of stroke by a factor of ten – toxins from bacteria can be associated with chronic infections associated with strokes.

3. Diabetes

Poor dental health tend to increase the severity of diabetes. People with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease and it can put them at greater risk of diabetic complications. It has now been shown the reverse is also true – Bleeding gums, dry mouth, fungal infections, cavities — these oral signs might clue your dentist into a serious health issue: diabetes.

Severe periodontal disease can increase the risk of poor glycemic control.

Within diabetics, it has shown those with good oral hygiene are less likely to suffer stroke, transient ischemic attack and angina or myocardial infarct.

4. Longevity

Reduces life expectancy

5. Other infections

Serious dental infections also increase the susceptibility to other types of infection in other parts of your body.

6. Low pre-term birth weights (PLBW)

Studies are also examining whether pregnant women with poor oral health may be at a higher risk of delivering pre-term, low birth weight (PLBW) babies than women with good oral health. Babies who are pre-term or low birth weight have a higher risk of developmental complications, asthma, ear infections, birth abnormalities, behavioral difficulties and are at a higher risk of infant death.

Studies have suggested 18% or all pre-term low birth weight cases may be attributable to periodontal disease.

7. Immune System Function

Any infection stresses the immune system. The extent of its effect on that system is directly related to the extent, type, and duration, and location of the infection. The more serious the infection, the longer it lasts and the more the immune system is affected. The immune system can be so compromised for its ability to fight infection and other degenerative diseases. Dental infections, especially long term periodontal disease and infected tooth roots can have a negative effect on the immune system

8. Osteoporosis

Loose teeth could be a sign of osteoporosis. The risk of tooth loss is three times greater for women with osteoporosis than for women who do not have the disease. If your jaw becomes less dense and weakens, losing teeth becomes more and more likely.

Researchers at the University of Buffalo, led by Jean Wactawski-Wende, reported that most people diagnosed with periodontal disease may be at a higher risk of underlying osteoporosis. The authors reported that if the relationship remains strong in further studies, it is possible that a routine dental X-ray could be used to screen for bone loss.

9. Idiopathic diseases, such as Meniere’s and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Because of its damaging effect on the immune system it can also contribute, make worse, or trigger many diseases and health issues, including such idiopathic (medical term applied to diseases of unknown cause) diseases as Meniere’s, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS) and fibromyalgia.

10. Other conditions – HIV and leukemia.

Bleeding gums, dry mouth, fungal infections, cavities — these symptoms also might suggest other serious conditions, such as HIV and leukemia.

11. Gastrointestinal Disorders

Certainly, tooth decay can affect one’s health. It can prevent proper chewing and thereby affect digestion. It can also cause tooth loss, again affecting digestion.

To date, the most significant relationship between dental disease and gastrointestinal disorders is from tooth loss. The edentulous (without teeth) patient, is the most vulnerable to gastrointestinal and other related problems.

One study showed that those with dentures are also subject to numerous health problems, directly related to their inability to properly chew their food. This study concluded that most of the subjects showed a low chewing (masticatory) performance classification. These subjects took more medication for gastrointestinal disorders than those with a higher chewing performance. The research indicated that the chewing efficiency of those wearing dentures was about one-sixth that of a person with natural teeth. Evidence suggests that nutritional deficiencies, regardless of their cause, are associated with impaired immune responses.

12. Stress and Mental Health

Dental disease can also generate a great deal of stress. It can create fear and anxiety, pain, and discomfort. It can also be very expensive, especially when the cost of treatment is added up over a lifetime.

Part II. Other Dental Issues Affecting Health and Longevity

A number of other dental issues can increase the risk and severity of other more serious diseases as mentioned at the beginning of this article:

• Fillings (amalgam/silver amalgam) containing mercury
• Problems caused by dental materials
• Failed or infected root canals
• Infected extraction sites (cavitations)
• Signs and symptoms of other diseases in the mouth

1. Amalgam fillings

Amalgam fillings are the greatest source of mercury exposure for those with these fillings. Every person with amalgam fillings is being subjected to chronic mercury poisoning, to one degree or another. Numerous studies have proven that mercury vapor is released from amalgam fillings. Up to 80% of that vapor is absorbed by the lungs and passes into the blood.

Yet, not everyone with amalgam fillings shows signs or has obvious symptoms of mercury toxicity. Mostly, this is related to the number of fillings, the length of time the fillings have been in the mouth, the health of the individual, and the body’s ability to naturally rid itself of mercury.

2. (Failed) Root Canals Problems

Root Canals Problems can be caused by the fact that traditional root canal therapy cannot guarantee that the tooth’s root canal, and the thousands of tubules that radiate out from the canal, can always be effectively sterilized by root canal treatment. The root canals that could be at risk of other health problems are those whose infection has spread to the bone surrounding the root tip.

3. Cavitations

Cavitation is a relatively new dental term. It refers to the destruction of bone in the area where a tooth has been extracted. One of the most common problems that can result from a cavitation is a neuralgia inducing cavitational osteonecrosis (NICO).

4. Signs and symptoms of other diseases in the mouth – Oral cancer

Diseases whose early signs and symptoms appear in the mouth can affect the patient’s health and life expectancy. Of these, oral cancer is of primary concern.

5. Sensitivity to Dental Materials

Sensitivity to dental materials may not be a serious problem for many people. But for those who are allergic to any one of the hundreds of different metals, compounds, chemicals, and products used in dentistry, these materials present a potentially serious health hazard.

Part III. Dental Health In Centenarians

Dental professionals are experiencing a fundamental change in treating their older patients. The number of patients seeking dental care into their 80’s 90’s and beyond is now centering more on natural teeth, then on creating full or partial dentures. Not only the population of centenarians is growing, but also is the percentage of centenarians who can keep their natural teeth longer. These centenarians are taking very good habits for dental hygiene.

Part IV. Gum Disease And Longevity – Floss Daily for a Longer Life Expectancy

One study showed that people with gingivitis and periodontitis have a 23%-46% higher chance of dying than those who are free of gum disease. Another study indicated that men below age 50, who have advanced gum disease, are 2.6 times more likely to die prematurely and three times more likely to die from heart disease than those who have healthy teeth and gums. Both studies considered other factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and diet habits.