I recently gave a talk to a group of dentists and periodontists about the importance of metabolic health.
Because contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about what you eat (although that certainly plays a big role). It’s also about how you take care of your mouth, including your jaw and teeth.
The connection between our mouths and metabolism is increasingly well-researched. More and more studies show a clear relationship between heart disease, mouth health, and even obesity.
And yet, not nearly enough health professionals are talking about this.
That’s why I’m sharing everything I know — so you can make better decisions for your future.
The science of heart health and oral health
The connection between our metabolisms and mouths is complex at best.
You can think of these two as mirrors facing one another: the health of one is reflected in the other.
One of our biggest organs is the alimentary canal, which includes the mouth, the stomach, and the intestines. Anything applied to this organ will significantly impact all three — including your metabolic health.
Here are several ways you can see reciprocity between your oral health and metabolic health.
Teeth
If you condensed the history of humans into a single calendar year, we would see roughly 50 weeks of hunter/gatherer behavior. There would only be a few weeks of industrial farming and processed food.
But within that short period of time, we can see our oral and metabolic health falling.
Let’s look at early human teeth, for example. Archaeologists see few if any crooked teeth — they’re almost nonexistent for Indigenous populations.
And contrary to popular belief, crooked teeth aren’t a genetic issue. Hereditary may play a small role in development, but it’s largely a food-related issue.
Consider, for example, the soft diet of modern processed food. Between pop tarts, applesauce, and sugary cereals, children lack the crunchy, nutrient-dense foods to grow well-developed jaw muscles. This in turn leads to smaller jaws, which leads to crowding of the teeth (aka crookedness).
Over time, these undersized jaws can even lead to heart disease.
Bacteria
The health of your teeth and the health of your heart are two sides of the same coin.
Most of this boils down to bacteria, with more than 700 strains in the human mouth. Each of these remain in careful harmony to ensure proper digestive function and salivary response. But whenever their careful balance is upset, you’ll slowly experience the negative effects.
A poor oral microbiome could be an indicator of cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis, heart failure, and infective endocarditis. It can also affect the gut microbiome, which encourages gastrointestinal disease.
But oral bacteria doesn’t just affect your heart. Long-term dysbiosis (or an unbalanced bacterial community) can also lead to preterm births, Alzheimer’s disease, and even systemic diseases like cancer.
What causes the bacteria in your mouth to change?
Whatever you put in it — whether that’s processed food, unnecessary medications, or even low-quality water.
Each of these things changes the pH value of your mouth, which ultimately encourages unwanted bacterial growth.
Let’s say you sip Red Bull to stay awake at work. This greatly decreases the pH in your mouth, which creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow.
Overgrown bacteria then winds up in your bloodstream, damaging your blood vessels and leading to heart disease.
Obesity
It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that sugar affects your oral health. Soda, candy, and other refined foods encourage plaque buildup, cavity development, and bacterial overgrowth.
But poor oral health can also have an impact on your weight.
For example, we know that eating a low-fat, high-carb diet can disrupt safety sensors and lead to weight gain. But a study from 2017 also finds a connection with periodontal disease — which plays a role in bacterial dysbiosis.
Bacterial overgrowth may even affect your taste perception, which causes you to want more processed food.
It all comes full circle.
Inflammation
Inflammation caused by gum disease (periodontitis) can lead to increased insulin resistance.
In one study, participants with periodontitis were 3.5 times more likely to qualify as insulin resistant, even though a large number of them had ‘normal’ BMIs.
There are two takeaways worth noting here. As we’ve learned, periodontitis develops from high-carb, low-fat diets, which worsens inflammation. But periodontitis also amplifies inflammation, which creates a vicious cycle.
Think about it for a moment.
If the processed food you’re eating negatively impacts your blood sugar, blood pressure, and waistline, it’s no wonder it has a negative impact on your oral health.
Improving your oral hygiene will improve your metabolic health
You can see metabolic health is a circular function — many parts of the body impact the whole.
Of course, this doesn’t mean good oral hygiene automatically protects you from metabolic syndrome. But it does provide a buffer against bacteria overgrowth and inflammation, both of which play a major role in heart disease.
So how can you make an immediate difference in your health?
Start by:
- Establishing an effective oral hygiene regimen. This includes brushing your teeth twice per day and flossing once before bed. You should also schedule a visit to your local dentist’s office — most recommend at least two professional visits per year.
- Avoid eating sugary snacks and processed foods. If you experience cravings throughout the day, try washing out your mouth with a fatty acid (such as whole milk). This can help you feel fuller longer and help cravings go away.
- If you smoke or drink, now is the time to reconsider your habits. Heavy smoking can lead to root decay and gum problems, while excessive alcohol consumption encourages dysbiosis (halitosis) and gum disease.
- Work on improving your metabolic health alongside your oral hygiene. Diet is the most overlooked aspect of oral health, so I recommend starting with whole, real foods. You should also incorporate plenty of sleep and resistance exercises. For best results, apply the seven principles of metabolic health.
Again, keep in mind that brushing your teeth isn’t necessarily a cure for metabolic health. Connecting baby steps and taking holistic action is a powerful way to combat poor metabolic health.
I’ll also add that you can have a terrible diet and still have decent oral health. It’s like being metabolically unhealthy while inside a ‘normal’ BMI bracket: it’s far more common than most people believe.
Either way, spending time improving your heart health and oral health can lead to a higher quality of life in the future.
And if you want to learn more about my recommendations, check out my podcast interview with Kevin Stock MD, the first dentist to be a guest on my podcast.
