As we now know, an unhealthy mouth is the window to systemic disease.

It is the perfect entry port for various contagions and contaminants that can, and will, profoundly affect the immune status.

On average, the oral cavity has the capacity to harbour up to 700 species of bacteria.

Along with bacteria, it nurtures numerous microorganisms, including fungi, viruses and protozoa.

The mouth has the second largest, and most diverse microbiota after the gut – which again consists of trillions of microorganisms from thousands of different species.

In a healthy person, there’s respectful coexistence between symbiotic and pathenogenic microbiodata. Because of the key role microbiome play in the health and operations of the human body it’s considered a supporting organ.

DNA is what is originally determines each person’s entirely unique network of microbiota, with first exposure to microorganisms in the birth canal during delivery, and then through the breast milk.

Exactly which microbes a newborn is exposed to is entirely dependent on the species found in the mother. It’s later environmental exposures and diet, that changes microbiome to be either beneficial to health, or create greater risks for disease.

Healthy, balanced microbiota provides protection from illness creating organisms that enter the body through contaminated food or water.

With its niches and convolutions the mouth is an exceptionally complex habitat. It is the initiation point of digestion.

Studying the microbiome was once limited because reliance on customary culture techniques made it almost impossible to replicate. The development of genomic technologies, bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing now provides powerful means and processes in understanding the complexities of the oral microbiome.

Microbiota break down potentially toxic food compounds, stimulate the immune system and synthesise particular vitamins and amino acids like B vitamins, and vitamin K. Interestingly, the enzymes needed to form vitamin B12 aren’t found in plants and animals, they’re found only in bacteria.

Simple sugars are quickly absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine, but more complex carbohydrates travel to the large intestine. The digestive enzymes of the microbiota there assist in the breaking down of these compounds; the fermentation of indigestible fibre produces short chain fatty acids (SCFA).

These can be used as a source of nutrition, but they also have a significant part in muscle function, and the prevention of chronic diseases – possibly even certain cancers and bowel disorders.

Clinical studies have shown SCFA to be useful in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and antibiotic-induced diarrhoea.

Science is increasingly exploring the metabolic and functional associations of altered oral microflora and states of illness and disease. Personalised pharmaceuticals, targeted therapies and medications with molecular signatures are all possible with the current research focus.

According to numerous and recent studies, taking care of your teeth is literally life saving.

Tooth decay and periodontal disease are bad enough; research now shows a connection between gum disease and an increased incidence of pancreatic cancer in men – by an astounding 63%.

The link between gum disease, heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes is well documented.

Periodontitis is proven to have an etiological, and certainly modulating role in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory diseases – and it doesn’t matter whether you smoke or not.

A tooth surface can have as many as one billion bacteria in its plaque.

With the oral cavity as a continuous source of pathogens and essentially a bacterial reservoir, genetic and environmental factors there can be exacerbated, which develops and progresses systemic disease.

Conducted by the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences Department of Periodontology in Loni, Maharashtra, India, a study was devised to determine the clinical, laboratory and microbiological efficacy of the Dental Air Force home dental cleaning system on chronic periodontitis.

Prior to treatment, one hundred periodontitis sufferers had their plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, clinical attachment level and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels assessed.

C-reactive protein is made by the liver – increased levels indicate inflammation in the body.

The Dental Air Force is an innovative system that relies on air, a dental cleaner and water to eliminate the bioburden of plaque, since the plaque itself cannot be completely removed.

A precision jet flushes debris and biofilm from the gum line, the teeth and in between. Its oxygenation disrupts proliferation of anaerobic bacteria in the subgingival area below the gum line. A neutralising agent – such as bi carb – acts as an approved abrasive on the stickiness of plaque.

It’s particularly useful for people with crowns, bridges and orthodontics.

The results of the study showed a 35% decrease in CRP levels in periodontitis patients that used Dental Air Force home dental cleaning system without having undergone standard scaling and root planing therapy.

For research participants having undergone that same conventional periodontal treatment, there was a 100% decrease in CRP in comparison to 89.6% in those who followed up treatment by using a standard toothbrush.

There is a strong correlation between periodontitis, CRP level, and the progression or remission of this gum disease. Preventing the accumulation of dental plaque biofilm maintains lower level CRP.

Along with regular professional dental interventions the Dental Air Force system has proven extremely useful in the prevention, control and treatment of gum disease and a lowering of the risk of systemic health issues.

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Note: All content and media on the Bacchus Marsh Dental House website and social media channels are created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.

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