Can our teeth make us healthier?

University of Queensland researchers are studying whether better oral health care could lead to an improvement in overall general health.

Researchers at the university's Oral Care Research Program have begun examining whether the health of those from low socio-economic backgrounds could be improved through a specific personalised oral health education programme.

Senior Research Officer Dr Mary Cullinan said better oral health care could result in better overall health in disadvantaged communities.

"It is anticipated that this study will show that an individualised oral health program will result in a significant improvement in oral health which in turn will reduce the need for further dental treatment, break the cycle of emergency care and at the same time lessen the risk of systemic disease by reducing clinical and molecular risk factors," Dr Cullinan said.

She said the research had two main aims: to determine the effectiveness of a specific personalised oral health education program and to determine the impact of this programme on clinical and molecular risk factors for oral and general health in subjects from a low socio-economic community.

"There have been a large number of studies linking cardiovascular and periodontal diseases. Our study will attempt to show if treating periodontal disease results in a reduction of serum markers of cardiovascular disease," Dr Cullinan said.

Item provided courtesy of The University of Queensland