Brain health is not an aspect that is intuitively related to dental health. But more and more health professionals focus their work towards an interconnection between all body systems, looking for how they are related.
As a result of this approach, some interesting studies have been carried out that yield surprising a priori results. Brain health, according to some of these studies, can be affected more than we think if proper oral health is not maintained.
What Did The Studies Say?
Although there are not many studies that link oral and brain health, the results of one that was carried out with a sample of more than 40,000 people over 7 years (from 2014 to 2021) have recently been published.
This study tried to find possible connections between one aspect and another, and although its conclusions need more evidence to support them, it is interesting to analyze its result.
To carry it out, the individuals in the sample underwent a series of magnetic resonance imaging to detect possible signs of silent cerebrovascular disease. At the same time, an in-depth analysis of the oral health of the participants was made.
As a result of contrasting both factors, it was observed that those who showed a greater chance of suffering cavities or loss of dental pieces also had worse brain health.
Although it is essential to carry out new studies along these lines to establish a direct causal correlation, it is quite evident, given the number of participants and the duration of the study, that there seems to be some kind of connection between the state of oral health and brain health.
Oral Pathologies That Can Damage The Brain
The damage to brain health due to oral problems is a subject that has been the subject of analysis for some time now. Periodontal disease, which causes inflammatory foci, has been linked to a good number of diseases. This chronic inflammation, however slight, produces alterations that make the blood-brain barrier easier to cross, and since one of its functions is to protect the brain from potentially harmful elements, it is logical to think that one of its consequences could be a higher chance of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
Other associations between oral and brain health are not so clear, but this does not prevent some data from suggesting their existence. For example, it has been found that among people who suffer from schizophrenia, or those who have suffered a stroke, it is more common to detect inflammation in the mouth.
Nor should we forget that the mouth is a place where a large number of bacteria live, which can spread from there to other areas of the body. When some of these bacteria reach the brain they can cause problems as serious as meningitis.
Importance Of Oral Hygiene And Reviews
The importance of maintaining good oral hygiene has been repeated ad nauseam, and as studies link this with possible consequences in other systems of the body appear, it is a statement that gains even more weight.
Thanks to maintaining strict oral hygiene, which includes frequent brushing, flossing and mouthwash, a good part of the problems that usually appear will be avoided.
Others, however, cannot be avoided, but they can be detected at an early stage if regular check-ups with the dentist are attended.
However, it is not common for a majority of people to follow these two simple strategies, which end up having consequences on both the health of the mouth and other parts of the body.
In addition to the possible link between oral health and the appearance of brain problems mentioned here, there are already other connections established with greater or lesser clarity. Periodontitis, for example, is associated with a variety of health problems, including diabetes and some cardiovascular diseases.
Thus, hygiene and check-ups are effective ways to keep the mouth healthy and at the same time reduce the impact of possible oral diseases on other areas of the body. A simple and practical solution that nevertheless pays high dividends in terms of our overall health.
The Link Between Genetics And Oral Health
The link between genetics and oral health is still in its initial phases of the study, but it is expected that as the progress of investigation, a greater amount of information may be available that is of value for its application in this field and thus known more accurately that oral pathologies have a relevant genetic component and can be considered hereditary.
However, enough is already known to know that genes play a prominent role in some aspects that affect oral health. Among them, the following can be mentioned:
Microbiome
The mouth harbors bacteria. This is something widely known, and it is not a big problem as long as correct dental hygiene is maintained. The set of bacteria that inhabit this space is known as the microbiome.
But what varies from one person to another is the immune response to this set of bacteria. Some people have a stronger immune response and others have a weaker one, and this largely determines their ability to develop cavities. People who genetically have a worse immune response are more predisposed to it.
Enamel Structure
The formation of teeth is a process in which genetics also plays a role. Depending on the genes that your parents have transmitted to you, the enamel of your teeth will be softer or more resistant, or what is the same, it will present a greater or lesser resistance to bacteria perforating them. People with less resistant tooth enamel are more prone to caries than those with more resistant enamel structures.
Preference For Sweet Foods
While some people are unable to resist sweet flavors, others don’t miss them at all. What are these differences due to? Mainly to a genetic factor. Heredity can determine your greater or lesser inclination towards sweets, and it is quite evident that the greater your genetic predisposition to take them, the greater the consumption you will make of them. As the consumption of sweets is an element that favors the development of cavities, those who are more inclined by their genetic inheritance to try them, have more options to suffer from them?
Ability To Perceive Flavors
Not all people have the same ability to perceive certain flavors. The perception of taste is a complex process, in which senses such as smell are involved and in which the tongue plays a main role. Some studies have proven that people who have a greater ability to perceive a wider range of flavors develop fewer cavities. Although there is no confirmation of the reasons, it is believed that it may be related to the fact that those who perceive a greater range of flavors are less predisposed to sweet.
Saliva Characteristics
The development of caries is given for many reasons, which include everything from the foods that are consumed to the characteristics of the saliva with which they are metabolized. Scientific studies carried out on saliva have shown that its properties vary from one person to another and that this may be due to genetic inheritance.
Oral Pathologies In Which Genetic Inheritance Is A Risk Factor To Consider
We have already seen that genes play an important role in the interaction of food with the organism. Now, what oral diseases are those that can develop in people who have been genetically less favored?
The main one, as we have seen, is caries. Many factors make some people more predisposed than others to developing cavities. But other oral pathologies can be hereditary or have a strong genetic component.
People normally have between 28 and 32 teeth. When there are genetic conditions that determine it, we can find that there are cases of people who have a lack or excess of pieces, which is known as Agenesis or Hypertonia. This lack or excess of teeth has consequences of various kinds, both aesthetic and health.
In addition to the number of pieces, heredity can also affect the size of the pieces. When some teeth are smaller than normal, it is known as microdata, and although it is not a serious health problem, it can affect aesthetics.
Other pathologies that can also be determined to some extent by heredity are dental misalignment, periodontitis and oral cancer.
Importance Of Prevention, Early Diagnosis And Treatment Of Hereditary Oral Diseases
Although today it is not possible to alter genetic inheritance to prevent risk factors from being transmitted from parents to children, the consequences of this predisposition can be minimized if adequate prevention is carried out or the problems of early form.
The creation of oral health habits in children is essential to ensure that the vast majority of complications do not develop, even if there is a hereditary component that predisposes them to their appearance.
Likewise, it is advisable to establish the habit of visiting the dentist regularly to carry out dental check-ups. This practice will allow whatever complication may arise to be detected at its early stage, and appropriate treatment can be prescribed.
Going to the dentist is not usually something that we are enthusiastic about, but it is always much better for the visit to be preventive than for it to be forced by the appearance of significant oral problems that require more expensive or aggressive treatments.…