Brushing your teeth three or more times a day is associated with an 8% reduced risk of developing diabetes, while having dental disease is associated with a 9% increased risk, and having no teeth (15 or more) is associated with a 21% increased risk. These findings highlight the importance of good oral hygiene, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35.. net Inflammation plays an important role in the development of diabetes, a major global health problem. Periodontal disease is also common in the general population. Because periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene can lead to transient infection and systemic inflammation, the authors, including Dr. Tae-Jin Song (Seoul Medical College and Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea), suggested that rates of periodontal disease and oral hygiene.

The authors analyzed data collected between 2003 and 2006.. , Based on 188,013 patients from the National Health Insurance System-Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) in Korea who had complete data for demographics, medical history, oral health scores, or laboratory data. Oral hygiene compliance (number of brushings, dental visits for any reason, and professional dental cleanings) was collected as a self-reported dental health examination data.. The number of missing teeth was determined by dentists during the examination.

The study found that 17.5% (about one in six) of the included respondents had periodontal disease. After a median follow-up of 10 years, 31,545 people (16%) developed diabetes. Using computer modeling, and taking into account patient demographics (including age, gender, weight, height, blood pressure, socioeconomic status), physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking status, vascular risk factors and history of cancer, presence of periodontal disease, and. Frequent brushing (3 times a day or more) was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.

Further analysis revealed different outcomes for adults aged 51 years and younger compared with those aged 52 years and older.. In the younger group, brushing twice a day was associated with a 10% reduction in the risk of developing diabetes and three times a 14% reduction compared to those who brushed their teeth once a day or no brushing at all.. In the older group, there was no difference in diabetes risk between those who brushed their teeth twice a day and those who brushed their teeth once a day or no brushing at all, but brushing three or more times a day compared to once or no brushing at all..

Periodontal disease seemed to have a stronger effect in younger people: in the younger group, it was associated with a 14% increased risk of diabetes, while in the older group, the increased risk was 6%.. And for adults aged 51 years and younger, missing one to seven teeth was associated with a 16% increased risk of developing diabetes, while for the older group aged 52 years and older, 15 or more missing teeth had the strongest effect, associated with 34%.

There were also differences between men and women, with a stronger association between increased brushing and reduced risk of diabetes in women.. For women, brushing 3 or more times a day or twice a day was associated with a 15% and 8% reduction in diabetes, respectively, compared with when women brushed their teeth once a day or not at all.. For men, there was only a 5% reduction in diabetes risk for those who brushed three or more times a day compared to those who brushed once a day or no brushing at all.. There was no statistically significant difference in risk between men who brushed their teeth twice a day and those who brushed their teeth once a day or not at all..

The authors say that although this study does not reveal the exact mechanism linking oral hygiene to the development of diabetes, they add that tooth decay, especially as it worsens, may contribute to the development of chronic and systemic inflammation, as well as increased production and circulation of inflammatory biomarkers..

They conclude: “Frequent brushing of teeth may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, and the presence of periodontal disease and an increase in the number of missing teeth may increase this risk.. Overall, improved oral hygiene may be associated with a reduced risk of new cases of diabetes.”.

medical-heal. en.