07 Nov

Can Going to the Dentist Prevent Pneumonia?

The benefits of regularly visiting your East Valley dentist, Lifetime Family Dental, don’t end below your neck! We’ve mentioned in a few previous posts the wide ranging positive and negative effects your oral health can have on your entire body, and now another study has emerged revealing yet another reason to go to the dentist. Findings from a recent medical study, conducted by a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, show that your regularly scheduled, bi-annual dental visit may decease your risk of pneumonia.

What do dental visits have to do with pneumonia? According to this new research it may be related to the fact that regular dental visits reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth. While typically people with compromised immune systems like those with AIDs, lung disease or the elderly are most susceptible to contracting pneumonia, everyone can get it. And according to this study, those who never get dental checkups have an 86% increased risk of pneumonia compared to those who visit their dentist biannually.

This study was based on the analysis of a nation-wide database of over 26,000 people! So this was no cooky, quasi-scientific study. This study is just one more compelling piece of evidence supporting the fact that your oral health is an integral part of your overall well-being.

Are you overdue for your twice yearly dental checkup? No judgements! We just want to see you to make sure your teeth, gums and overall health are all in tip-top shape. Schedule your appointment with your East Valley Dentist, Lifetime Family Dental, today!

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (11/7/2016) Troy Tolley (Flickr)