If you don’t “grow” the bacteria in your mouth properly, it will affect more than just your oral health

As the saying goes, "Diseases come from the mouth", but the bacteria that make people sick not only come from unhealthy diet, but may also come from the flora that exists in the mouth for a long time.

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The rich flora in the oral cavity is essential to maintaining the normal physiological functions of the human body and maintaining a healthy state. In order to coexist peacefully with them, the disease control expert recommends:

Use the correct method and tools to clean your teeth.

Eat sugar scientifically, drink less carbonated drinks, and don’t smoke.

Have regular oral examinations and seek medical attention if you feel any discomfort.

As the saying goes, "Diseases come from the mouth", but the bacteria that make people sick not only come from unhealthy diet, but may also come from the flora that exists in the mouth for a long time.

The microbiota is another organ of the human body

Microbial communities such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses can help the human body complete a variety of physiological and biochemical functions. They are stored in the intestines, mouth, and skin of the human body and are called "another organ" of the human body. The oral cavity, as the starting point of the digestive system, contains the second largest "bacteria bank" in the human body, second only to the intestines in terms of the richness of the flora.

In a healthy state, the oral flora maintains a dynamic balance with the human body, helping to maintain the pH value of the oral environment, inhibiting the growth of pathogens, and participating in the formation of nutrients. When this steady-state balance is broken, the imbalanced oral flora can cause many diseases.

Imbalanced bacterial flora often causes tooth decay

The acid-producing bacteria in the mouth can ferment carbohydrates in food to produce acidic substances, which will corrode the tooth surface and maintain a balance with the regeneration of tooth surface tissue. However, if food residues or extra sugars are not cleaned up in time, acidic substances will accumulate in large quantities, causing the acid-producing bacteria in the healthy flora to multiply, thereby producing more acidic substances and causing tooth decay problems.

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults

Periodontal disease includes gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is limited to the gingival tissue, while periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by plaque flora, which can lead to irreversible destruction of periodontal supporting tissues (periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone), thus causing tooth loss. According to the results of the fourth national oral health epidemiological survey, about 62.3% of adults over 35 years old in my country suffer from varying degrees of periodontitis, among which the prevalence of severe periodontitis is as high as 30.6%.

Microbiota is closely related to systemic or chronic diseases

Microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi in local lesions of the oral cavity can spread through the oral cavity, along the gastrointestinal tract, blood, lymphatic vessels, or nerves, allowing pathogens to reach distant areas. In addition, byproducts such as proteins, nucleotides, and lipids produced by microorganisms can also reach systemic areas and indirectly cause disease. For example, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often suffer from aphthous stomatitis, oral ulcers, dry mouth, and purulent stomatitis; periodontal pathogens can induce inflammatory responses in the body, cause intimal hyperplasia, and accelerate the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques.

To maintain oral health, we advocate:

1. Brush your teeth in the morning and evening, and rinse your mouth after meals

Brushing your teeth can remove plaque, plaque and food debris, and rinsing your mouth can also remove food debris and keep your mouth clean.

2. Master the correct method of brushing teeth

The horizontal vibration brushing method (also known as the modified BASS brushing method, as shown below) is a brushing method that can effectively remove dental plaque in the gingival sulcus and can help remove dental plaque on all tooth surfaces.

(Picture cited from: Department of Prevention, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University)

3. Choose the right tool to clean the gaps between teeth

For the gaps between teeth that cannot be fully reached by a toothbrush, you can use dental floss or an interdental brush to thoroughly clean the teeth. In addition, you can also use a water flosser if conditions permit.

4. Eat sugar wisely and drink less carbonated drinks

Eating too much sugary sweets or drinking too many carbonated drinks can cause tooth demineralization, leading to caries or tooth sensitivity.

5. Smoking is harmful to oral health

Smoking is one of the main risk factors for periodontal disease. Smokers are five times more likely to develop periodontal disease than non-smokers.

6. Have an oral health check at least once a year

Dental caries and periodontal disease are slowly developing diseases with no obvious symptoms in the early stages and are difficult to detect. Regular oral examinations can help detect and treat them in time. In addition, it is recommended that women planning to become pregnant should undergo oral health examinations and treat oral diseases in advance, because complex oral treatments in the early and late stages of pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage or premature birth due to factors such as tension and pain.

7. Seek medical attention promptly if you experience any discomfort in your oral cavity

Dental caries often manifests as discomfort when exposed to hot or cold stimuli, discomfort or pain when biting, and pulpitis can cause severe spontaneous pain and pain at night. 80%-90% of bad breath is caused by oral diseases. If the above or other uncomfortable symptoms occur, you should go to a qualified oral medical institution for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

References:

[1] Wang Xiaoxuan, Zhang Maoqi, Cao Zhengguo. Exploring the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases and the treatment strategy of periodontitis with systemic diseases from the perspective of evidence-based medicine[J]. Chinese Journal of Stomatology, 2022, 57(08): 874-879. DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn112144-20220413-00178.

[2] Gao L, Xu T, Huang G, et al. Oral microbiomes: more and more importance in oral cavity and whole body[J]. Protein Cell. 2018, 9(5): 488-500. doi: 10.1007/s13238-018-0548-1. Epub 2018 May 7. PMID: 29736705; PMCID: PMC5960472.

[3] National Health Commission. Oral health guide for Chinese residents. 2015. http://www.chinacdc.cn/xjcfa/xqt/201712/P020171228506371538344.pdf.

Contributor: La Xuena

Editor: Li Xinyu

Reviewer: Shi Yan, Feng Xiaogang