Tooth decay could signal ill health
Updated on 12 July 2009
Teeth can provide an alarm call warning of eating habits that lead to ill health, an expert has claimed.
Certain foods that affect blood sugar levels and may increase the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases first attack the teeth and gums, according to Professor Philippe Hujoel.
He believes tooth decay and gum disease may be a signal that we need to change our diets.
The "bad" foods are high glycaemic (high GI) carbohydrates that break down quickly to release sugar.
As well as being linked to diabetes and liver disease, they also increase sugar levels in the mouth leading to dental problems.
High GI foods include sticky cakes, donuts, biscuits, and sweets, but also some fruits, as well as starchy potatoes, white rice and bread, and pasta.
A high GI diet is widely believed to be associated with poor blood sugar control and an increased risk of diabetes.
Some experts suspect abnormal blood sugar might play a role in many different disorders, ranging from Alzheimer's to pancreatic cancer. Rates of some of these conditions have been correlated with dental disease.
Prof Hujoel, from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle, US, said: "There is fascinating evidence that suggests that the higher the glycaemic level of a food, the more it will drop the acidity of dental plaque, and the higher it will raise blood sugar.
"So, possibly, dental decay may really be a marker for the chronic high-glycaemic diets that lead to both dental decay and chronic systemic diseases. This puts a whole new light on studies that have linked dental diseases to such diverse illnesses as Alzheimer's disease and pancreatic cancer."
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