Inverse Association Between Poor Oral Health and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Quite interesting, I have periodontal disease,and UC,but take good care of the gums and teeth.
Let your teeth rot.
Old Mike

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27392757

Inverse Association Between Poor Oral Health and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

The hygiene hypothesis (a lack of childhood exposure to microorganisms increases susceptibility to allergic diseases by altering immune development) has been proposed as an explanation for the increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, there are few data on the relationship between oral hygiene and development of IBD, and study results have been inconsistent. We investigated the association between poor oral health and risks of IBD, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS:

We performed a population-based cohort study of 20,162 individuals followed for 40 years (from 1973 to 2012). Residents of 2 municipalities of Uppsala County, Sweden (n=30,118), 15 years or older, were examined for tooth loss, dental plaques, and oral mucosal lesions at the time of study entry. Other exposure data were collected from questionnaires. Patients who later developed IBD (UC or CD) were identified by international classification codes from Swedish National Patient and Cause of Death Registers. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for IBD, UC, and CD.

RESULT:

From National Patient and Cause of Death Registers, we identified 209 individuals who developed IBD (142 developed CD and 67 developed UC), with an incidence rate of 37.3 per 100,000 person-years. We found an inverse relationship between poor oral health and IBD, especially in individuals with severe oral problems. Loss of 5-6 teeth of the 6 teeth examined was associated with a lower risk of IBD (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.32-0.98). Having dental plaques that covered more than 33% of tooth surface was negatively associated with CD (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.10-0.97).

CONCLUSION:

In a population-based cohort study of more than 20,000 people in Sweden, we associated poor oral health with reduced risk of future IBD.

Interestingly not the first time I've heard about the Oral-Gut connection. My mother used to nag me about my bad oral health being related to me contracting the common cold haha Perhaps there is a connection! Makes sense though: The digestive system begins in the mouth after all :)

Interestingly, I had very bad teeth growing up. Now they are all filled, crowned and cleaned, but I really struggled to keep mine in decent shape throughout my childhood. in my early 20s, I rarely had cleanings and I didn't take care of my teeth much due to spotty employment, lack of insurance and fear of the dentist. When I finally went to the dentist, I Had a ton of plaque and build up. I got diagnosed with UC around that time. I also had to get a root canal because one of my teeth was in such terrible shape (not from the stuff in the 20s, from WAY before when I was a kid..). Now I keep them clean and healthy - cleanings every 6 months.

i've always thought of my teeth as an asset but now it seems it's my failure :) One famous Polish aphorist used to say "the fewer teeth you have, the more freedom of the tongue you gain" lol

I think we have a systemic problem in general recognizing and dealing with bacteria/microorganisms. Hence the issue with oral and other secondary type infections.