How Oral Health Impacts Overall Health

As we age, sometimes we forget about a very important aspect of our health: our oral health. Once we get in our fifties and sixties, some of us think, it is what it is. It's expensive; senior on fixed incomes put tooth care last. But as we age, our teeth need more attention. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about how oral health factors into overall health.

Dr. Shawn says, "Your mouth has its own kind of ecosystem and it really does affect your overall health. It's kind of the start of the whole gut canal, and there's a lot of indicators for that. People might be grossed out by this, but your mouth has over 800 types of bacteria, viruses, parasites, things like that. Some of them are beneficial, and you want to eliminate the ones  that shouldn't be there.

"When you're looking at gut health, there's such a connection with gut health and oral health. Be mindful of that, outside of regular dentistry. When you get your teeth cleaned, you're trying to prevent gum disease and some people might have dentures as they get older, and you're trying to prevent tooth decay. But there's so much more to it. There's a lot of indicators that we can study in your mouth that are predictive of your overall health."

Learn more

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• More podcasts about physical wellness
• More podcasts with Dr. Shawn Weiss

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