The Relationship Between Teeth Loss And Longevity

The human body works in a complex way where everything is connected and in perfect balance. Although most organs and systems may not seem to be related, they work as a harmonious clockwork where a slight issue with any component can affect the functionality of other parts of the body.

Furthermore, there has always been an association between age and tooth loss, as the elderly tend to possess fewer teeth and usually rely on dental prosthesis use.

Now, this trend is often due to the relationship between oral health and certain diseases that could be related to age. Using a FOSOO electric toothbrush to maintain good oral health could increase your lifespan.

As a result, research has been performed to study the direct relationship between lifespan, having good oral health, and the number of teeth retained in the mouth.

Longevity Theory

The Relationship Between Teeth Loss And Longevity

It has been theorized that people who live longer possess better oral health and losses fewer teeth. To properly assess this, different studies examined multiple people of the same birth cohorts, among which were included centenarians (people of 100 years old or more). The same evaluation was done on the birth cohorts of said centenarian offspring.

Upon evaluation, it was observed that centenarian people had lost fewer teeth than other members of their birth cohort by the age between 65-74. Therefore, showing that centenarians tend to experience fewer teeth loss and maybe have better oral health than the average person.

The same pattern was observed of the centenarian's offspring as they showed signs of better oral health than other members of their same birth cohort.

Thereby, in theory, people who live longer may lose fewer teeth.

How Does The Number Of Teeth Relate To Lifespan?

As stated before, the whole body is connected, and a lot of diseases possess oral manifestations. Moreover, oral issues such as periodontitis can be the direct cause of the development of serious health problems such as heart disease.

Therefore, losing a tooth could be not only an indication of poor oral hygiene but also an underlying condition capable of reducing a person’s lifespan, such as diabetes, hypertension, or alterations due to constant nicotine consumption. Usually, these diseases are developed around the 40-60 years of a person.

However, a study observed that among centenarians, 45% of them do not develop systemic diseases, nor age-related or life-threatening diseases until around the age of 80. Moreover, up to 15% won’t experience them until they are over 100 years old, meaning that there is not any factor that could increase the odds of experiencing tooth loss.

Furthermore, it also works the other way around. Having good oral health can help prevent teeth loss which can also help reduce the risk of the early development of diseases.

Relationship Between Oral Health And Other Diseases

It is a well-known fact among doctors and dentists that there exists a direct relationship between periodontitis and heart diseases such as strokes and heart attacks.

Periodontitis causes both reductions of the jaw bone, which ultimately leads to tooth loss and chronic inflammation of the gums. The gums are a highly vascularized tissue, and being in a constant state of inflammation due to the proliferation of bacteria can lead to bacteremia.

When this happens, bacteria responsible for periodontitis penetrate the blood vessels and migrate to the heart, resulting in the development of systemic diseases that can reduce the lifespan.

Other conditions such as diabetes can cause an enormous impact on oral health and tooth loss. Problems with blood sugar regulation can weaken the immune system, leaving the mouth not fully protected against bacteria and allowing them to produce gums disease easier, slowing the healing time, and lastly, leading to teeth loss.

More importantly, a study has revealed an even higher prevalence of heart disease due to teeth loss than periodontitis. Therefore, a vicious cycle is started. Thereby, poor oral hygiene can lead to teeth loss, which leads to systemic diseases that can reduce the lifespan. On the other hand, developing systemic diseases can contribute to oral health problems and teeth loss which can worsen the health condition and reduce lifespan. Therefore, it could be interpreted as having good oral health with as few missing teeth as possible could reduce the risk of developing early systemic diseases and increase the lifespan.

However, missing teeth can affect health in other ways.

Nutrition And Missing Teeth

Missing multiple teeth decreases the food chewing ability and efficiency. Sometimes this can lead to nutritional deficiencies as the person will have trouble eating certain types of food such as meats which provide an essential amount of protein and iron. Therefore, reducing the intake of essential nutrients to maintain optimal body functionality and accelerating the rate at which body and mind deteriorate.

Moreover, the limitation in food eating due to missing teeth combined with a poor diet lacking fruits or vegetables can lead to a lifespan lower than those completely dentate.

Good Oral Health For A Long Life

It has been proven that there is a relationship between longevity and good oral health, more specifically, not missing many teeth.

Keeping healthy oral habits could be the key to a longer lifespan. Using a FOSOO electric toothbrush, you will be able to eliminate gums disease and prevent it from turning into systemic disease. Moreover, these sonic clean toothbrushes possess a whitening mode, in case you not only care about your health but also your aesthetics. Every FOSOO electric toothbrush is guaranteed to deliver the best result possible more efficiently.

It is essential to understand that although a long life is associated with losing fewer teeth, both the body and health are complex systems, and they do not work linearly. Longevity and teeth loss are multifactorial with many elements involved.

Therefore, not losing teeth should not be seen as the only marker to determine life expectancy. An old person retaining all his teeth in his mouth does not necessarily mean that he is not suffering from a systemic disease. However, it is still a good indicator of overall health and possible extended lifespan.

Kris Wesley
Editor

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