A Healthier Lifestyle Can Also Help Your Teeth and Gums

It’s the start of a wonderful new year full of plans and aspirations. Do your New Year’s resolutions include eating less, losing weight and trying to live a better lifestyle? If so, according to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey, you’re far from alone, since 40-52% of respondents list dieting, weight loss and exercise as top resolutions.

Healthier Diets Can Improve Oral Health

Cutting back on unhealthy sugar and increasing healthier choices in your diet will help you lose weight. It can also mean less tooth decay, fewer cavities and maybe even better overall health.

Many studies relate gum disease to serious systemic diseases. Increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables and whole grains can help make your teeth, bones and gums stronger.

Water also plays an important role in health. Drinking more water helps suppress your appetite and boost your metabolism. It may also help wash away bacteria left on your teeth in between brushings. A drier mouth can also increase bad breath, so drink that water!

Obesity and Links to Gum Disease

Obesity is a major problem in this country. Exercising not only helps ensure that your body is functioning at optimal capacity, it helps you lose weight and improve the way your body absorbs essential nutrients and vitamins from food. This in term helps boost your immune system and contributes to a lower risk of developing gum disease. Exercising can also help reduce damaging inflammation and improve poor posture which can, if not corrected, lead to structural issues with the jaw, misaligned teeth, or even broken or cracked teeth.

Overweight individuals with body mass indexes (BMI) of more than 30 are thought to have a higher risk of gum disease. Obesity triggers inflammation in the body, an underlying cause of many diseases including periodontal (gum) disease.

Research published in the British Dental Journal, the official journal of the British Dental Association, discusses how being severely overweight causes this inflammatory reaction in the body which can lead to gum tissue destruction. The research also points to how diets rich in antioxidants (hence, healthier foods) could potentially help reduce the progression of gum disease.

Here’s hoping you are able to take better care of your body—and your teeth —in 2023. Regular dental visits are your first line of defense against oral health issues. To learn more about how you can protect or improve the health of your teeth and gums, contact us to make an appointment at either of our Pennsylvania locations, Northeast Philadelphia or Ambler.