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Bad dental health can lead to pneumonia - Yale

31 Dec Daily Telegraph

Thousands of elderly people are at increased risk of pneumonia this winter if they fail to brush their teeth regularly, a study suggests.

The Dental Health Foundation has warned that poor oral hygiene could cause the respiratory infection after research found a link between bacteria in the mouth and the lung disease. Dr Samit Joshi of Yale University School of Medicine found changes in bacteria in the mouth preceded the development of pneumonia.

He concluded that this process ?suggests that changes in oral bacteria play a role in the risk for developing pneumoniaā€¯. Pneumonia is thought to affect more than 620,000 people in the UK and claims the lives of around five per cent of those who contract the disease.

Although further research is required to determine the exact relationship between oral health and pneumonia, it is not the first time the two diseases have been linked. Poor oral health has been associated with respiratory diseases for a number of years, as bacterial chest infections are thought to be caused by breathing in fine droplets from the throat and mouth into the lungs.

This can cause infections, such as pneumonia, or could worsen an existing condition. Studies have even suggested a higher mortality rate from pneumonia in people with higher numbers of gum problems. The findings of the study present further evidence that there?s a significant health risk to the elderly and the young, according to Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter. Dr Carter said: ?During the winter months we?re all susceptible to colds, coughs and chesty viruses due to the drop in temperature.

What people must remember, particularly those highlighted as vulnerable, is that prevention can be very basic. ?Systemic links between gum disease and overall health have been well documented, and at this time of year keeping up good oral health can really help stave off illness.

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