PRESTON, United Kingdom: Not brushing your teeth will get you in trouble with the dentist – but since the arrival of the pandemic, it could lead to bigger problems too.
There’s growing evidence that poor oral health raises the risk posed by COVID-19. Research shows that people with poor oral health can end up with more severe symptoms if they catch the coronavirus.
COVID-19 patients who also have gum disease are 3.5 times as likely to be admitted to intensive care compared to those without. They’re also 4.5 times as likely to need to be put on a ventilator and nine times as likely to die from COVID-19.
This may seem shocking, but the fact that there’s a link between oral health and COVID-19 is less surprising when considering the link between oral hygiene and other diseases.
Bad oral hygiene has been associated with making many other diseases worse.
Principally this happens when bad hygiene is sustained for long periods, leading to dysbiosis – where the bacteria in the mouth change from a peaceful state into an aggressive one.
Once the mouth’s bacteria become aggravated, they can cause gum disease, chewing away at the tissues of the mouth and entering the blood stream.
And once there, the bacteria can then flow around the body and settle in various organs, raising levels of inflammation and over time contributing to various specific and chronic conditions.
Indeed, if this happens, there’s barely a part of the body that can’t potentially be affected. Poor oral health can have an impact on the heart, raise blood pressure and make diabetes worse by raising blood sugar levels.
It’s been linked to premature births, arthritis, kidney diseases, respiratory disease and even some neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/com...lth-dentists-dental-care-oral-hygiene-2316921
