We already have many articles about the human oral microbiome - a set of bacteria, microbes, and viruses living in your mouth - and its connection to human health.
(Don't miss a list of articles below the news)
Recently a collaboration of different groups of Portuguese scientists revealed one more link to this biological puzzle. As it turned out, poor oral health can significantly increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occurrence.
What did scientists find?
The research group analyzed saliva samples from a group of participants diagnosed with IBD and received interesting results:
- 88.1% of patients required dental treatment
- 38% required prosthetic rehabilitation
More than half of the participants with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis had periodontal disease.
Also, salvia samples showed that the oral microbiome in people with IBD contains an enormous amount of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes that are usually associated with an imbalanced gut microbiome.
In addition, another study from the Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, US) revealed that IBD usually leads to lower biodiversity in the oral microbiome.
How to fix your oral
Another recent research from Eastern Virginia Medical School, US, showed that a healthy diet and lifestyle can reduce the risk of Crohn's disease development in young people. Also, regular visits to a dentist and keeping your oral health under control are mandatory.
You should not underestimate the importance of the oral microbiome as long as it is strongly linked with other organism's systems. You may read more in our previous articles:
