EXPANDING waistlines are not just putting our hearts under strain - new research has shown that gaining the extra pounds is placing a heavy burden on teeth, leaving them more prone to toppling over and falling out.
Previously, scientists found that being severely obese meant that you had triple the chance of developing gum problems. Gum disease is the sixth most common disease in the world with about 10 per cent of us experiencing it in its worst form.
Aggressive gum disease can even rob people in their twenties of a seemingly perfect smile just when they should be enjoying their youth.
A new study, from the University of Buffalo, was conducted to discover the reason behind why being overweight resulted in such devastating consequences for teeth. All the arrows pointed to chronic inflammation being the culprit.
They found that fat-related inflammation triggered a group of immune cells in our bone marrow to grow out of control. These immune cells transformed themselves into different cells called osteoclasts, which spend their day munching on the delicate bone that holds teeth in.
Left unchecked, osteoclasts have an open house party in our mouths. The bone slowly drops down around our teeth, the gum dutifully follows, exposing the yellow roots of teeth and elongating the tooth.
The inflammatory state caused by extra fat is seen in other obesity-related bone disorders such as arthritis where the bone is eaten away and osteoporosis, which leads to weaker, less dense bones that are more prone to breakage.
The body is in a permanent state of flux between a balanced immune system and an unbalanced one. Balance creates an environment of health and stability.
By reducing fat cells in the body, you can reduce the negative chemical signals and hormones that the cells chuck out, thus reducing inflammation in the body.
At the same time, this will improve the blood flow to the gums which will nourish the jawbone, helping to firm up teeth and keep them in their rightful place.
When a tooth feels loose people tend to panic and fear that the tooth will fall out but there is a range of gum disease treatments that can tighten loose teeth and an underlying healthy body makes these treatments even more successful.
