Dental Health Can Also Affect Your Lungs!

“Watch out for what you dump in me!!!”

Whenever our body suffers from any diseased condition, we blame the external factors the most... That especially holds true for lung diseases in which most commonly the factors that are blamed are cigarettes and smoke. Although these are the major devastating factors for lung diseases, there are certain factors “born and brought up in our own oral cavity” which may often lead to lung infections which has a potentially high mortality rate! Yes, that’s true! Microaspiration of bacteria, especially from the patients with gum and periodontal diseases into the respiratory pathways and lung parenchyma, are known to cause and exacerbate the conditions of

• pneumonia
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and
• ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP)

in chronic debilitated patients in hospitals. Mouth with bleeding gums and periodontal diseases as well as dental caries harbors

• Fusobacterium
• Porphyromonas
• Streptococcus pneumonae
• Neisseria species

and many other gram negative species of microbes which make the lung inflamed and diseased. The point to be taken notice of is-

“It’s not only the old and the patients with comorbidities but even pediatric patients are known to have bouts and exacerbation of chronic bronchitis attacks due to prevotella species from unhealthy mouth.”

Dental caries and associated cracks and cavities give shelter to disease pathogens which further contaminate the overall bacterial ecosystem and cause the diseases to worsen.

The role of the oral microbiome on lung disease

Recent COVID associated pneumonias showed great results in healing after thorough cleaning and maintenance of the oral hygiene by the use of anti- bacterial tooth pastes and mouth washes in comparison to patients with compromised oral health.

Know your weapon

“A dentist’s major weapon is prescription of correct cleaning agents for the correct candidate!”