You Can Usually Tell How Long Someone Will Live Just By Looking At This Body Part, Says Science
Halfpoint | Shutterstock Living a long and healthy life is the goal, and now, according to science, we might be able to predict the possibility of that future simply by looking at a person's teeth.
We're so used to the idea of living a long life being tied to our wellness habits, including eating right, exercising, and regularly visiting the doctor for routine check-ups. However, it's our oral health that we should be paying particularly close attention to when it comes to longevity. Apparently, neglect of oral health can lead to many other complications in other parts of the body.
You can usually tell how long someone will live just by looking at their teeth.
Taking care of your teeth and avoiding cavities, or repairing any decay, can actually add years to your life. The World Health Organization has found a link between tooth and gum issues in older adults and quality and length of life. Consider what life would be like if your smile were impaired in some way or if it were too painful or embarrassing to eat. You might become depressed, especially if the things that once made you happy became the source of pain and shame.
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Researchers from the University of Osaka in Japan went through the health and dental records of nearly 200,000 adults 75 or older and found that those with more missing or decayed teeth showed an increased risk of early death when compared to those with healthy or filled teeth. This increased mortality risk was backed up by a previous study, which found a link between cardiovascular disease and oral health.
Most people aren't seeing their dentist as often as they should be.
You would think prioritizing a yearly cleaning would be a no-brainer with those findings, but unfortunately, that's not really the case.
According to a survey from Delta Dental Institute, dentists topped the list of health practitioners Americans want to see more often, but don't. An estimated 42% of Americans don’t see a dentist as often as they would like, beating out their primary care doctor.
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While most people recognize the importance of keeping their teeth healthy, only 15% rate their current oral health as excellent. Whether it's out of fear or cost, seeing the dentist is often pushed aside as less important when it comes to overall health.
Teeth are a major indicator of physical health.
"The number of teeth is a major indicator of oral health as a low number of existing teeth is a predictor of a wide variety of health problems, including weight loss, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, end-stage kidney disease, dementia, cancer, and even mortality,' researchers at the University of Osaka wrote of their findings.
In the U.S., the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that subjects with decayed teeth that had not been filled or otherwise repaired were at a higher risk for mortality from any cause, especially cardiovascular mortality.
Many people don't quite realize just how closely the mouth is connected to the rest of the body. Neglecting your teeth can even affect your gut health and digestive system. Everything is tied back to taking care of our teeth.
Life can get so busy that we start neglecting certain areas of our health, including a routine dental visit. It's vital to our long-term health that we take care of our teeth. Skipping dental care might seem harmless in the moment, but it's better to address issues straight away than wait for bigger problems to develop later in life.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
