Have you ever thought about what is inside your mouth? At first thought, perhaps you would think of teeth, gums, maybe plaque (if you haven’t been great about flossing), and a tongue. But did you know that your mouth is also bustling with bacteria. There are over 6 billion bacteria, coming from 700 different species, that inhabit your mouth. The oral cavity is a favorable area for unicellular microorganisms to thrive in, especially in the cheeks, tongue, palate, tonsils, and gums. The mouth is constantly moist and needs moisture to grow. Although some bacteria are harmless, some living in your mouth can also be harmful.
Out of the 700 species that inhabit the oral cavity, around two dozen oral species can be associated with diseases or conditions in other parts of the body. A lot of the bacteria end up in the stomach via digestion and the bloodstream by eating, brushing teeth, or during an invasive dental treatment. Once in the bloodstream, bacteria can harm the brain. The blood-brain barrier, a network of blood vessels and tissues that are made up of closely spaced cells, helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain, but it becomes more vulnerable with age. This allows the bacteria to invade the brain and destroy nerve tissues by activating the immune system (Mountain View Dental, 2021). The immune system destroys nerve cells by phagocytosis, which means the cell is engulfed and destroyed. The bacteria in your mouth have an impact on your teeth as well. For example, Porphyromonas gingivalis causes an inflammatory disease that destroys the tissues supporting the tooth, eventually leading to tooth loss (Nagihan & Georgios, 2012). This bacterium is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease for memory loss and cognitive ability. Oral health is important regardless of age and educating people on proper oral health may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and other risks of gum disease and infection in seniors.
To combat these bacteria and possibly prevent various conditions, brushing your teeth and flossing regularly is important. Good oral hygiene practices are widely considered important to maintaining good oral health, and flossing has long been considered an indispensable part of an effective oral hygiene routine. Dental plaque is a bacterial biofilm which causes chronic gingivitis and periodontitis, and flossing removes plaque or controls its accumulation (Cepeda et al., 2017). Dental plaque can be removed by brushing twice a day for at least two minutes. Brushing fewer than two times daily significantly increases your chances of developing tooth decay. It is important to note that choosing a correct toothbrush helps. The toothbrush should not be too big, it should reach all parts of your mouth and the bristles should ideally be soft (Stewart et al., 2017). By implementing all of these as a daily routine, then good oral health and even brain health may be achieved effectively and efficiently.
About the Author
Lawrence Nguyen is a junior at Nova Southeastern University concentrating in Biology.
References
Booth, S. (2019, May 5). Bacteria in your mouth can affect your brain. Healthline. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/bacteria-in-your-mouth-can-find-its-way-to-your-brain#:~:text=Brush%20and%20floss&text=%E2%80%9CBy%20disorganizing%20the%20biofilm%20on,Flossing%20is%20just%20as%20important.
Cepeda, M. S., Weinstein, R., Blacketer, C., & Lynch, M. C. (2017, August 7). Association of flossing/inter‐dental cleaning and periodontitis in adults. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpe.12765
Choi, J. E., Loke C.,Waddell J. N., Lyons K. M., Kieser J. A., Farella M. (2015, March). Continuous measurement of intra-oral ph and temperature: Development, validation of an appliance and a pilot study. Journal of oral rehabilitation. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25809398/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, October 26). What is Alzheimer's Disease? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20as%20many%20as,were%20living%20with%20Alzheimer's%20disease.&text=Younger%20people%20may%20get%20Alzheimer's,14%20million%20people%20by%202060
Nagihan Bostanci, Georgios N. Belibasakis. (2012, August). Porphyromonas gingivalis: an invasive and evasive opportunistic oral pathogen. Validate user. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/333/1/1/586464.
Stewart, K., Whelan, C., Sherk, H., Gleichmann, N., Silvestrini, E., Lindberg, S., McCormack, C., Rauf, D., & By. (2017, January 26). The proper way to brush your teeth. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/the-proper-way-to-brush-your-teeth.aspx.
Out of the 700 species that inhabit the oral cavity, around two dozen oral species can be associated with diseases or conditions in other parts of the body. A lot of the bacteria end up in the stomach via digestion and the bloodstream by eating, brushing teeth, or during an invasive dental treatment. Once in the bloodstream, bacteria can harm the brain. The blood-brain barrier, a network of blood vessels and tissues that are made up of closely spaced cells, helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain, but it becomes more vulnerable with age. This allows the bacteria to invade the brain and destroy nerve tissues by activating the immune system (Mountain View Dental, 2021). The immune system destroys nerve cells by phagocytosis, which means the cell is engulfed and destroyed. The bacteria in your mouth have an impact on your teeth as well. For example, Porphyromonas gingivalis causes an inflammatory disease that destroys the tissues supporting the tooth, eventually leading to tooth loss (Nagihan & Georgios, 2012). This bacterium is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease for memory loss and cognitive ability. Oral health is important regardless of age and educating people on proper oral health may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and other risks of gum disease and infection in seniors.
To combat these bacteria and possibly prevent various conditions, brushing your teeth and flossing regularly is important. Good oral hygiene practices are widely considered important to maintaining good oral health, and flossing has long been considered an indispensable part of an effective oral hygiene routine. Dental plaque is a bacterial biofilm which causes chronic gingivitis and periodontitis, and flossing removes plaque or controls its accumulation (Cepeda et al., 2017). Dental plaque can be removed by brushing twice a day for at least two minutes. Brushing fewer than two times daily significantly increases your chances of developing tooth decay. It is important to note that choosing a correct toothbrush helps. The toothbrush should not be too big, it should reach all parts of your mouth and the bristles should ideally be soft (Stewart et al., 2017). By implementing all of these as a daily routine, then good oral health and even brain health may be achieved effectively and efficiently.
About the Author
Lawrence Nguyen is a junior at Nova Southeastern University concentrating in Biology.
References
Booth, S. (2019, May 5). Bacteria in your mouth can affect your brain. Healthline. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/bacteria-in-your-mouth-can-find-its-way-to-your-brain#:~:text=Brush%20and%20floss&text=%E2%80%9CBy%20disorganizing%20the%20biofilm%20on,Flossing%20is%20just%20as%20important.
Cepeda, M. S., Weinstein, R., Blacketer, C., & Lynch, M. C. (2017, August 7). Association of flossing/inter‐dental cleaning and periodontitis in adults. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpe.12765
Choi, J. E., Loke C.,Waddell J. N., Lyons K. M., Kieser J. A., Farella M. (2015, March). Continuous measurement of intra-oral ph and temperature: Development, validation of an appliance and a pilot study. Journal of oral rehabilitation. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25809398/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, October 26). What is Alzheimer's Disease? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20as%20many%20as,were%20living%20with%20Alzheimer's%20disease.&text=Younger%20people%20may%20get%20Alzheimer's,14%20million%20people%20by%202060
Nagihan Bostanci, Georgios N. Belibasakis. (2012, August). Porphyromonas gingivalis: an invasive and evasive opportunistic oral pathogen. Validate user. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/333/1/1/586464.
Stewart, K., Whelan, C., Sherk, H., Gleichmann, N., Silvestrini, E., Lindberg, S., McCormack, C., Rauf, D., & By. (2017, January 26). The proper way to brush your teeth. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/the-proper-way-to-brush-your-teeth.aspx.