Diabetes Prevention: Brushing Your Teeth Frequently Can Reduce Risk

Over 100 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes every year. According to a new study, oral hygiene plays a vital role in diabetes risk.

The researchers from the Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Woman's University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea demonstrated that periodontal disease involves inflammatory reactions which is an important cause of diabetes.

“Frequent toothbrushing may be an attenuating factor for the risk of new-onset diabetes, and the presence of periodontal disease and increased number of missing teeth may be augmenting factors," Medscape Medical News quoted the study’s authors Yoonkyung Chang, MD et al. "Improving oral hygiene may be associated with a decreased risk of occurrence of new-onset diabetes," they added.

The study published in Diabetologica analyzed data from 188,013 individuals from the Korean National Health Insurance System. They collected the participants’ self-report on oral hygiene behaviors including the frequency of toothbrushing, cleaning or dental visits.

Upon following for a decade, they found 31,545 new cases of diabetes and that the overall 10-year event rate was 17.3% for individuals with periodontal disease. It, also, revealed that the rate of new-onset diabetes was higher among those who missed a tooth.

The findings suggested that the number of daily tooth-brushings by individuals had a significant effect. Compared with those who brushed 0-1 times daily, those who brushed at least thrice daily had a significantly reduced risk of new-onset diabetes. The study highlighted the fact that professional dental cleaning didn’t have a significant effect compared to toothbrushing.

Also, diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease and are often considered a complication of diabetes, especially among those who don’t have their blood sugar levels under control. About 22% of those diagnosed with diabetes are affected by periodontal diseases.

Periodontal disease, a.k.a. gum disease, is an infection of the tissues that are responsible for holding your teeth in place. It is usually caused by poor dental hygiene practices, including poor brushing and flossing habits, that allow plaque build-up on the teeth. When left untreated, gum diseases can lead to severe health consequences, including heart diseases, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, and blood cancer.