Good Dental Health Can Improve Your Heart, Health, and Longevity

Donna Wright

Edited and approved by Stephen C. Rose, PhD

Brushing Your Teeth May Be More Important Than You Think

Most people first learn to brush their teeth to prevent cavities and bad breath. That is still true, but it is not the whole story. Oral health is tied to overall health in ways that matter far beyond the mouth. Umbrella reviews have linked oral diseases—especially periodontitis and tooth loss—with a range of systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease. Those associations do not prove that every dental problem causes disease elsewhere, but they are strong enough that oral health should be treated as part of whole-body health.[1,2]

Oral health and the rest of the body

The mouth naturally contains many microorganisms. In a healthy mouth, that is normal. Problems arise when plaque builds up, inflammation becomes chronic, or infection takes hold. Poor oral hygiene can increase the risk of tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis, and those conditions can create a persistent inflammatory burden.[3]

Oral health and the heart

A 2024 umbrella review found that periodontitis and tooth loss are consistently associated with cardiovascular diseases across systematic reviews, including coronary disease and stroke-related outcomes. Current evidence supports an association, but it does not establish a simple one-way cause-and-effect relationship.[2]

There is also a more specific heart issue worth knowing about. In susceptible people, oral bacteria can contribute to infective endocarditis, an infection of the heart’s inner lining. That risk is not the same for everyone, but it is one reason dentists and physicians pay close attention to oral infections and periodontal disease in people with certain cardiac conditions.[4]

Other medical conditions linked with oral health

The link between periodontal disease and diabetes is one of the better-established two-way relationships in medicine. Diabetes raises the risk of periodontitis, and periodontitis is associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes and with poorer glycemic control.[5]

Oral health also matters for respiratory health, particularly in frail older adults and people in hospitals or residential care. A systematic review in older adults found that poor oral hygiene and pathogenic oral colonization were associated with aspiration pneumonia risk, and another systematic review and meta-analysis found that daily toothbrushing in hospitalized patients was associated with lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia.[6,7]

The oral-brain connection is still being studied, but the evidence is not strong enough to justify dramatic claims. An umbrella review found that severe deterioration of oral health, such as severe periodontitis or extensive tooth loss, was associated with cognitive dysfunction. Current evidence does not establish that poor oral health directly causes dementia, but the association is important enough to take seriously.[8]

Dental health, aging, and nutrition

Oral health often becomes harder to maintain with age. Tooth loss, reduced saliva, medication effects, denture problems, and periodontal disease can all make eating, speaking, and daily comfort more difficult. Longitudinal evidence suggests that having more natural teeth is associated with healthier aging trajectories.[9]

Nutrition is part of that picture. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that older adults with tooth loss were at greater risk of malnutrition than those with functionally adequate dentition. That does not mean every person with missing teeth will become malnourished, but it does mean oral function matters for healthy aging.[10]

Poor oral health can also affect quality of life. Pain, bleeding gums, missing teeth, and chewing difficulty can interfere with eating, communication, confidence, and social participation.[9,10]

Why regular dental care still matters

A dental visit is not just a cleaning. Dentists and hygienists look for cavities, periodontal disease, oral infections, denture problems, dry mouth, suspicious lesions, and other signs that may need treatment or medical follow-up. That makes regular dental care useful for maintaining oral health and for catching problems earlier.[1,3]

The best recall interval is not identical for every adult. A Cochrane review found little to no difference between risk-based and fixed 6-month recall intervals for several oral-health outcomes in adults in primary care settings. That means some people may need closer follow-up, while others can be managed safely with longer, individualized intervals.[11]

Practical ways to protect your oral health

The basics still matter:

Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.

Clean between the teeth regularly.

Clean dentures properly if you wear them.

Do not ignore bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, loose teeth, or tooth pain.

Limit sugary foods and drinks, avoid tobacco, and moderate alcohol.

Stay hydrated, especially if you have dry mouth.

Keep up with dental care at intervals appropriate to your risk level.[3,11]

The bottom line

Good dental health is not just cosmetic. It supports eating, speaking, comfort, and day-to-day quality of life, and it is associated with broader measures of health as people age. It is not a guarantee of longevity, but poor oral health can add avoidable risk and disability over time. Taking care of your teeth and gums is one of the simpler ways to support healthier aging.[1,2,9,10]

References

Botelho, J.; Mascarenhas, P.; Viana, J.; Proença, L.; Orlandi, M.; Leira, Y.; Chambrone, L.; Mendes, J.J.; Machado, V. An Umbrella Review of the Evidence Linking Oral Health and Systemic Noncommunicable Diseases. Nat. Commun. 2022, 13, 7614.

Arbildo-Vega, H.I.; Cruzado-Oliva, F.H.; Coronel-Zubiate, F.T.; Meza-Málaga, J.M.; Luján-Valencia, S.A.; Luján-Urviola, E.; Echevarria-Goche, A.; Farje-Gallardo, C.A.; Castillo-Cornock, T.B.; Serquen-Olano, K.; et al. Periodontal Disease and Cardiovascular Disease: Umbrella Review. BMC Oral Health 2024, 24, 1308.

Gallione, C.; Bassi, E.; Cattaneo, A.; Busca, E.; Basso, I.; Dal Molin, A. Oral Health Care: A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Nurs. Health Sci. 2025, 27, e70027.

Falconer, J.L.; Rajani, R.; Androshchuk, V.; Yogarajah, A.; Greenbury, R.A.; Ismail, A.; Oh, N.; Nibali, L.; D’Agostino, E.M.; Sousa, V. Exploring Links Between Oral Health and Infective Endocarditis. Front. Oral Health 2024, 5, 1426903.

Stöhr, J.; Barbaresko, J.; Neuenschwander, M.; Schlesinger, S. Bidirectional Association Between Periodontal Disease and Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. Sci. Rep. 2021, 11, 13686.

Khadka, S.; Khan, S.; King, A.; Goldberg, L.R.; Crocombe, L.; Bettiol, S. Poor Oral Hygiene, Oral Microorganisms and Aspiration Pneumonia Risk in Older People in Residential Aged Care: A Systematic Review. Age Ageing 2021, 50, 81–87.

Ehrenzeller, S.; Klompas, M. Association Between Daily Toothbrushing and Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Intern. Med. 2024, 184, 131–142.

Lin, C.-S.; Chen, T.-C.; Verhoeff, M.C.; Lobbezoo, F.; Trulsson, M.; Fuh, J.-L. An Umbrella Review on the Association Between Factors of Oral Health and Cognitive Dysfunction. Ageing Res. Rev. 2024, 93, 102128.

Sahab, L.; Newton, J.T.; Sabbah, W. Oral Health and Healthy Ageing: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Dent. J. 2025, 13, 303.

Zelig, R.; Goldstein, S.; Touger-Decker, R.; Firestone, E.; Golden, A.; Johnson, Z.; Kaseta, A.; Sackey, J.; Tomesko, J.; Parrott, J.S. Tooth Loss and Nutritional Status in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JDR Clin. Trans. Res. 2022, 7, 4–15.

Fee, P.A.; Riley, P.; Worthington, H.V.; Clarkson, J.E.; Boyers, D.; Beirne, P.V. Recall Intervals for Oral Health in Primary Care Patients. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2020, 10, CD004346