Brushing your teeth 3-times a day cuts risk of diabetes

New survey reveals how good teeth hygiene protects much more than your oral health

A survey studying possible links between poor teeth hygiene and the risk of diabetes has recently been released and it shows that brushing your teeth three or more times a day could make it less likely that you will develop the disease. The study was carried out in South Korea over a period spanning around fifteen years and it is claimed that people who had poor oral health were more likely to suffer from diabetes.

The survey, which was quite comprehensive, collected data from almost 190,000 people between the years 2003 and 2006. Of the people surveyed it was discovered that 17.5 per cent had some level of periodontal disease (a gum problem associated with poor teeth hygiene).

The authority responsible for the survey then re-visited the original participants after a 10-year gap and found that 31,545 had developed diabetes. The survey concluded that those people who brushed their teeth at least 3-times a day were eight per cent less likely to become diabetic after 10-years.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that people with gum disease were more likely to develop diabetes, while people who had at least fifteen missing teeth also had an increased risk of 21 per cent of becoming diabetic.

The conclusion of the study is that improving your personal teeth hygiene may reduce the likelihood of new-onset diabetes.

It was the first time that we at Carisbrook Dental have seen this study, but it does not surprise us because we have always stressed that good teeth hygiene by regular and efficient teeth brushing not only improves the health and appearance of your teeth but at the same time it helps to prevent gum disease. In addition to diabetes, it is now well established that gum disease has proven links to other serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.

One of the risks that has been widely highlighted is the link between poor teeth hygiene and heart disease. It has been proved that a build-up of bacteria as a result of inefficient or infrequent teeth hygiene can be a major cause of gum disease, which in turn can lead to a greater risk of damage to arteries and life-threatening heart disease.

Good teeth hygiene is advice that we always pass on to all our patients and we recommend that to ensure healthy teeth and gums you should always brush your teeth, using a medium bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste, for at least 2-minutes, twice a day. Our cleaning advice also covers inter-dental cleaning, flossing, medicated mouthwash and tongue cleaning.

Don’t take risks. If you would like to speak to one of our hygiene team then please make an appointment. You can call 0161 766 2123 or alternatively you can contact us by using the online form on our Appointments page.