Oral health: teeth, gums and why they matter elsewhere

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Take gums as seriously as teeth

   Bleeding when you brush is not normal and is not something to brush more gently around. Gum disease is common after 60, usually painless until late, and it is the main reason teeth are lost. Bleeding, receding gums, persistent bad breath or loose teeth all warrant a dentist.

   Learn more: Anti-inflammatory basics
2. 2

   Step 2: Know why it reaches beyond your mouth

   Gum disease is a long-running low-grade infection, and chronic inflammation of that kind is associated with heart disease and with dementia risk. Looking after your gums is not vanity; it is part of the same inflammation story as diet and movement.

   Learn more: Dementia: what it is, and what lowers the risk
3. 3

   Step 3: Deal with a dry mouth, which most people ignore

   Many common medicines reduce saliva, and saliva is what protects teeth. A dry mouth means more decay, sore gums and difficulty with dentures. Sip water through the day, and ask your doctor or pharmacist whether anything you take is the cause.

   Learn more: Nutrition basics
4. 4

   Step 4: Make sure you can still chew what you need to eat

   This is the part that links back to everything else. Painful teeth or poorly fitting dentures quietly push people towards soft, sweet, low-protein food, and that costs muscle. If eating has become difficult, that is a reason to see a dentist rather than to change what you eat.

   Learn more: Muscle as your body's engine, not just for moving

All topics in this guide

• Anti-inflammatory basics
• Dementia: what it is, and what lowers the risk
• Nutrition basics
• Muscle as your body's engine, not just for moving

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