| Take a moment to count how many teeth you | | | | tooth decay, it seems, tend to eat more sweets |
| have. Did you know that people with less teeth | | | | and snack foods. Both of these "junk food" types |
| run a higher risk of putting on weight, and even | | | | are known to put on the pounds, and, cause |
| becoming obese? Someone with 21 teeth left out | | | | tooth decay. |
| of their original 32 has a risk that is approximately | | | | Taking it a step further, Dr Isabelle |
| 3 times higher, in fact. | | | | Bailleul-Forestier, a hospital physician in Paris, says |
| The size of our waste, and our dental health, hold | | | | that obesity can in fact cause inflammatory |
| a closer relationship than we ever thought | | | | phenomena in the gums. This will eventually lead |
| possible. The more teeth you are missing, the | | | | to gum disease and affect your teeth, causing |
| worse it could potentially become. Missing a | | | | them to become more and more lose over time. |
| number of teeth typically means poor distribution | | | | So, be alert - if your dentist asks for your body |
| of masticatory forces, and if something isn't done | | | | mass index or measures your waist, there is a |
| to remedy this problem, people with missing teeth | | | | valid reason for it. |
| will continue to gain weight. The reason for this is | | | | What can you do to prevent this from happening |
| chewing, as missing teeth causes one to chew | | | | to you? First, it is important to eat healthier foods |
| improperly and eat softer foods such as fats and | | | | such as fruits and vegetables (hey, the apple is |
| starches (many times for comfort reasons). | | | | "nature's toothbrush," after all). Another step to |
| These foods are more likely to be eaten than | | | | take would be to check your teeth and gums on |
| healthier choices, such as apples, which are much | | | | a regular basis. Are their signs of tooth decay or |
| harder in texture and more difficult to chew | | | | gum disease? If so, get to your dentist right |
| (when compared to something high in fat like | | | | away and get treated! Failing to act on these |
| potato chips). | | | | conditions can cause major mouth issues, and can |
| Many studies have also shown that not just | | | | ultimately leads to missing teeth and worse. |
| missing teeth, but tooth decay, might also be a | | | | Missing teeth, as stated before, correlate with |
| major problem. These studies have demonstrated | | | | obesity and an overweight America. Keeping your |
| a correlation between the presence of tooth | | | | teeth in check might do more for your waste |
| decay and being overweight or obese. People with | | | | than you ever thought possible. |