For whatever reason, people tend to dissociate oral health from overall health and view the two as mutually exclusive, but this could not be further from the truth! We take our teeth and all the functions our mouths perform a little for granted because their use quickly becomes second nature from a young age. We may be lax with our oral health and cleaning habits, but there are countless reasons to be diligent about maintaining healthy teeth. Here is one example of how teeth can impact our well-being and longevity.

Research reveals that people who live 100 years or more lose fewer teeth during their lifetime. This is because oral health mirrors our overall health- and scientific evidence highlights that people with more than 20 healthy teeth have a 2.5% lower death rate.

• The number of healthy teeth you have predicts how long you will live.
• Teeth loss can indicate a hidden disease. Diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and COPD are a few diseases
  linked to early teeth loss. Left untreated, these diseases can take away healthy years from a person’s
  life.
• Losing teeth early may contribute to self-shame, social isolation, and malnutrition. These can
  trigger stress and profoundly affect a person’s general health.
• Consult a dentist if you are experiencing early teeth loss. They will guide you on the causes
  and refer you to a specialist if needed.

Therefore, is there a correlation between the number of healthy teeth in our mouths and our lifespan? Read on to learn how the number of years you live depends on the healthy teeth you retain as you age.

With age, it’s natural to lose teeth. However, severe tooth loss affects 2% of people across the globe and is among the list of diseases that can affect life expectancy. Experts agree that the correlation between years lived and teeth retained is real — it’s associative and causal.

Link between dental health & life expectancy

Good oral and dental health helps prevent many diseases. Furthermore, it is directly related to how long and healthy you live. Conversely, a healthy lifestyle keeps you disease-free and helps you retain healthy teeth as you age. The number of healthy teeth depends on your overall health and vice versa. Therefore, taking care of your general and oral health is vital to enjoying long, healthy years.

Scientific explanation of teeth loss and the lifespan correlation

The number of healthy teeth in your mouth represents your health status. You can lose permanent teeth early due to oral causes or health conditions. Losing permanent teeth prematurely can affect the normal functioning of the body. It can also worsen certain pathological conditions and lead to life-threatening diseases.

• Teeth loss. Loss of teeth impairs chewing and the ability to break down food particles. As a result, it affects the digestive cycle and leads to weight loss. Therefore, adults with less than 20 teeth are more prone to develop malnutrition. Furthermore, people who lack proper nutrition are at risk of developing psychological issues early.
• Loss of confidence. Early teeth loss, especially the front ones, can bring confidence levels down and take a toll on a person’s social life. In addition, long-term isolation often manifests as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. On the flip side, people with cognitive loss cannot perform oral hygiene properly — raising the risk of gum inflammation, cavities, and eventual teeth loss.
• Increased risk of disease. Missing teeth suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. For example, people with five or more missing teeth are at a significantly higher risk of developing heart diseases.
• Health issues. People with multiple teeth loss and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to frequent hospitalizations and death. Studies reveal that the risk of death was 1.5 times higher for people who lost all their teeth before age 65.
• Oral cancer. Sudden, rapid teeth loss can indicate oral cancer. Studies confirm that higher teeth loss has been related to increased death rates in oro-digestive cancers.

These diseases, in the long term, can be lethal. Teeth loss can be an early sign that your health needs immediate attention.

Healthy teeth and the quality of life

Teeth loss is seldom the sole cause of a shortened lifespan. However, retaining healthy teeth indicates good overall health-ensuring a long life. Our mouths have 32 teeth, including the third molar. These are permanent, and their longevity depends on oral hygiene, awareness, habits (smoking and drinking), and diseases. For each healthy tooth you have at 70, you raise your 5-year survival rate by 4%.

“The advantages of healthy teeth are not limited to one generation. Studies reveal that children of centenarians — people aged 100 or more — have long-lasting healthy teeth too.”

Early teeth loss lowers healthy years

You can lose teeth due to cavities, severe gum infections, and periodontitis. These oral diseases often stem from systemic conditions. Diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke are either aggravated or induced by poor oral hygiene — leading to teeth loss. Tooth loss also represents stress over a lifetime — social, psychological, and physical. Stress releases inflammatory markers that can damage the soft tissues surrounding the teeth and lead to teeth loss.

Losing teeth early can indicate severe health conditions, taking away healthy years from your life.

Better oral hygiene can help you live longer

Practicing good oral hygiene is key to a healthy mouth and a healthy life. Research shows that those who regularly brush their teeth, go to the dentist, and wear dentures have a 46% reduced death risk than those who do not. The American Dental Association emphasizes the need to initiate an integrated oral-systemic healthcare approach to curb oral diseases while taking care of related health conditions. Dentists recommend regular health check-ups, biannual dentist visits, and practicing good oral hygiene.

Healthy teeth can add healthy years to your life. Try to maintain your permanent teeth for as long as you can. Your teeth can be the getaway to a disease-free and long life.

The team of professionals at Balanced Dental believes in holistic care. Our goal is to help our patients achieve optimal dental health and overall wellness — and we offer preventative, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dental services under one roof. Call our office today at 772.247.2407 or join our Facebook community here

Reference: [https://healthnews.com/family-health/dental-and-oral-health/is-the-number-of-teeth-linked-to-our-life-expectancy/]