Common lung diseases caused by poor oral health
Dr. D.Sendhil Nathan MDS, DNB Prosthodontics And Implantology
A healthy mouth is key for a healthy life. We are stating this because our mouth is the entryway with which the harmful microbes enter into our body and causing various life-threatening diseases. The germs present in oral infectious conditions like decayed teeth, plaque build-up, gum diseases can easily enter into the bloodstream and travel down to the internal primary organs like lungs, liver, heart and others.
Untreated oral diseases put the lungs at risk and are associated with various respiratory diseases. We have outlined the link between poor oral health and lung diseases here.
What are the respiratory disorders caused by dental infections?
Mouth and our respiratory tract are connected by a way of gum tissues. Poor cleaning of teeth leads to plaque and tartar build-up on teeth over the gum margins. The exposure of gum tissues to the bacterial accumulation leads to tissue inflammation and followed by gum diseases like gingivitis and Periodontitis.
Untreated periodontal or gum diseases have been considered as an aspect of problems like preterm birth, heart diseases and respiratory disorders.
1) Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition occurring in the lungs caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Researchers have found that pneumonia is primarily caused by the colonization of bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the oropharyngeal region.
Dentists reveal that the microbe Streptococcus pneumoniae has its origin in the infected gums.
Besides this, the microbial imbalance in the tongue of senior adults makes them prone to pneumonia. The microbial imbalance is associated with various inflammatory diseases and weakening the immune system. This accelerates the harmful microbes developed on the tongue. People swallow that dysbiotic microbiota without their knowledge and develop pneumonia.
2) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is a common respiratory problem and it shows symptoms like excessive coughing, abnormal mucus and shortness of breath.
It is mainly caused by the long term exposure of lung irritants which damage the lungs and infect the respiratory tract. Common aspects like smoking, environmental factors combined with oral bacteria increase the risk of COPD problems.
Our immune system also fights against the bacteria infection in the lower airway but it can also be compromised with conditions like malnutrition, diabetes and intake of certain medications.
3) Pulmonary Actinomycosis
Pulmonary Actinomycosis is a kind of respiratory infection that is caused by a bacteria called acitomuces. In general, the bacteria are present in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. This usually arises after the problematic dental conditions like tooth abscess, gum diseases.
Generally, actinomyces present in our mouth can easily mix with the food or other secretions in our mouth and easily enters into the lungs.
4) Acute Bronchitis
Acute Bronchitis involves the inflammation of the breathing tubules inside the lungs. Apart from the environmental factors, the oral periodontopathic bacteria aspirated into the lungs is the primary reason behind this problem. The symptoms include dry or wet cough, mild pain in the chest.
Bottom Line
Lung or respiratory diseases share common symptoms as cold diseases. Hence it is hard to identify the infection in the lungs in the initial stages and get medications.
We recommend everyone to get the medicines and drugs for lung infections prescribed by your Doctor and take it with limited dosage. This is because some respiratory disease medications cause side effects like dry mouth, yeast infection inside the mouth and lead to oral thrush.
