Study: Frequent Tooth Brushing May Reduce Risk of Disease

New research revealed that brushing teeth frequently may prevent diabetes. Inflammation in the body is often linked to developing diabetes or high blood sugar. According to researchers from Seoul, poor oral hygiene and infection of the gums lead to or worsen inflammation in the body. Conversely, good oral hygiene can prevent diabetes that develops from inflammation. The study’s findings reveal that relative to people who brushed once a day or less, those who brushed at least three times daily had an 8% reduced risk of acquiring the disease. Those who brushed twice daily, on the other hand, had a 3% reduced risk. The study also found that people who previously showed signs of gum disease were 9% more prone to diabetes, while those who lost 15 teeth and above were 21% more at risk. Medical experts looked into nearly 190,000 participants’ oral hygiene practices throughout the 10-year duration of the study. They also kept track of the subjects’ health records. The researchers noted that more than 17% of the participants showed early signs of having periodontal disease, an infection of the gums caused by improper oral hygiene. After a follow-up session with the participants within the 10-year time frame, the researchers reported that 16% of the subjects developed diabetes. Despite the health benefits of frequent tooth brushing, the lead author of the study advised that a generally healthy lifestyle has more impact than proper oral hygiene in preventing diabetes. Nonetheless, the researcher added that tooth brushing lessened some inflammation.