Commentary: Required read leads to oral awakening

By Cassie Kelly
Capital High School

While sitting in Mrs. Claudia Kol’s Anatomy/Physiology 2 class, I began to read yet another interesting article on human health and hygiene. But this article wasn’t like the others we had read, talking of interesting but predictable human health issues. The further I got in this article, the more alarmed I became.

What was this eye-opening piece of literature? “The Route of All Evil,” an article by Christian Millman in the December 1999 issue of Men’s Health magazine. The article focused on the importance of proper dental hygiene (especially when it comes to flossing) and that the lack thereof can allow killer bacteria to only orally enter the bloodstream as well as the heart and brain.

I was shocked to learn that you not only need to take care of your mouth to prevent cavities and gingivitis but also to help prevent heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, ulcers and even pneumonia. Although gum disease and related ailments most likely aren’t the main causes of these problems, they can promote and worsen the conditions.

I found it particularly interesting that “when your resistance is low, bacteria from gum disease can infect your lungs and cause pneumonia.” Therefore, when your immune system is not working to its full potential you have to make sure to keep your mouth clean - and that doesn’t just mean brushing your teeth.

In order to keep your mouth to its optimum cleanliness you should (surprisingly) scrape your tongue because if you don’t, bacteria will hop right back into your mouth the minute you close it. It is also vital to floss. Flossing has been proven to be 10 times more important than brushing your teeth alone!

Besides the random tip to scrape your tongue, the article even suggested that dry brushing your teeth and probing your gums can be very beneficial. Dry brushing prevents tartar build up better than just using toothpaste and water, and probing helps because tartar gum disease usually starts below the gum line.

Dental hygiene is so important that insulin doesn’t even work as well for diabetics when the person is fighting an oral infection. Evidence has also shown that the helicobacter pylori bacterium, which can cause stomach ulcers, resides in dental plaque.

By the end of “The Route of All Evil,” I was still in shock that simply not taking care of your mouth could drastically worsen diabetes and even infect your lungs with pneumonia. To my surprise, this simple article that I was required to read for class has led me to a new appreciation for my dentist and my mother badgering me all those years to keep my teeth and gums clean.