Our bodies have innate safeguards to protect our system from problematic microbes. These safeguards have the ability to recognize friend or foe and selectively keep out the foes. They also let in the friends, such as nutrients and beneficial bacteria. This is known as selectively permeable.
This selective permeability relies on us to provide the basic materials in order to continually rebuild and strengthen our safeguards. If we don’t do this, the safeguards lose their structural integrity and can become more leaky, which is where we get the term leaky gut.
Leaky gut, leaky skin, leaky blood brain barrier, and leaky gums all present health risks. Visiting your dentist regularly, cleaning your teeth, and maintaining good dental hygiene is crucial to keeping the safeguards present in your mouth in working order. Poor dental hygiene promotes systemic inflammation, risking barrier breaches and promotes systemic inflammation in the body.
Our mouths have a host of bacteria that can cause damage if allowed to enter our systems. One of these bacteria is P. gingivalis, which we know is the bacteria involved in gingivitis. It has been found to cause inflammation in the brain. Inflammation within the brain is a causative factor in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Not only is this and other bacteria harmful for the brain, they are also associated with higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Indeed, poor oral hygiene may lead to a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.
Some individuals can be genetically more susceptible to periodontal disease. They may experience receding gums due to the bacteria and the genes that cause inflammation in this area. While genes are a causative factor, you can mitigate the risk by taking the appropriate actions.
Regular visits to your dentist are just as essential as regular check ups with your personal physician.
Keep regular dental hygienist appointments and use probiotic toothpaste, which helps deal with the pathogenic bacteria. Cleaning your teeth and maintaining good dental hygiene helps reduce the risk of those pathogenic bacteria from entering your systems through your mouth. Now, there is also a genetic test available that checks for the genes that cause oral inflammation. This can more thoroughly assess the personal risk of both periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease. In addition, these tests can help identify the type and concentration of perio-pathogenic bacteria which helps to guide better therapy.
This may lead you to some interesting questions. Should you spend more time working out to lower your risks for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s? Or, should you spend more time on oral hygiene practices. Balance is key. Both practices are important to your overall health.
Keeping your body’s innate safeguards well controlled and optimally constructed helps you fend off the outside world more effectively, reducing your risk of CVD and Alzheimers. The time you spend keeping your oral health optimal is well spent.
See a biological dentist to be sure your teeth are in great shape!