Diseases that Start In Your Mouth: How to Live Longer, Better and Healthier, Smiling Every Day

Diseases that Start In Your Mouth:
How to Live Longer, Better and Healthier ... Smiling Every Day
© 2025 Health Realizations, Inc.

Having a healthy lifestyle is essential to having a healthy body. However, there is one area that many people overlook when discussing health options: the mouth. There are many bodily diseases that start from mouth bacteria, and the problems can escalate quickly if not treated in time.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Your mouth is a warm, wet, and dirty environment, so it is easy for bacteria to flourish. These bacteria most frequently result in gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Symptoms of these include bruised and bleeding gums and mouth sores, and your gums may have a shiny, bright, red color. Crooked teeth, ill-fitting dental pieces, and low-quality fillings can create small, tight crevices where toxins and bacteria reside. If not removed regularly via regular brushing and flossing, and professional dental cleanings, the bacteria can flourish, leading to periodontal disease, and eventually enter your body, causing problems for other body areas and leading to the development of chronic diseases.

There are a number of ways in which the bacteria can find its way from your mouth to other areas of your body. One way is by entering your bloodstream; the bacterium builds up in between the teeth and under the gum line, then is easily transferred to the bloodstream. You can also digest this bacterium when it enters your stomach, which means it will subsequently be absorbed by your body. A third possible way is by inhalation into your lungs. These three entry points can cause sometimes severe periodontal diseases if not treated by maintaining a healthy and clean mouth.

Common Dental Problems and their Effects

These following dental problems are potential indicators of many periodontal diseases. If your dentist diagnoses you with any of these conditions, be sure to visit your doctor or a periodontist and describe your symptoms, as each can be an indicator of other illness.

Bad Breath (Halitosis): Bad breath, known as halitosis, is caused by bacteria hiding in between teeth and gums. For some, it is also caused by stomach bacteria and gases. The bacteria causing halitosis can make its way into your bloodstream. It can also attach to food and end up in your stomach.
Tooth Erosion: Tooth erosion is caused when plaque and bacteria are left on teeth for long periods of time, causing the tooth enamel to wear down and decay. Tooth erosion and decay is preventable through proper dental care, but it can be serious and very painful if not treated properly. If not removed frequently, the bacterium from the plaque, which causes tooth decay, can be consumed through the digestive system or get into your bloodstream.
Mouth Sores: Mouth sores, canker sores, and ulcers are often painful and long-term. Many doctors and professionals believe that smoking, drug use, certain foods, and bacteria contribute to mouth sores. Mouth sores, if untreated, can be indicators of other medical problems. Crohn’s disease, Behçet’s Syndrome, and ulcerative colitis are all problems associated with mouth sores.
Oral Cancer: Oral cancer begins when malignant blood cells reproduce quickly and overtake the healthy cells. The cancer will cause tumors, open sores, and discolorations. Oral cancer, if not treated immediately, can spread to other organs. Besides being extremely painful, any cancer can be life threatening.

Common Physical Health Problems and their Periodontal Causes

There are many health problems that can be caused by poor dental care. If your doctor says that you have any of these problems, visit your dentist to check for any mouth problems, which could be the underlying cause.

Respiratory Disease: Bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pneumonia can be caused when you inhales bacteria from your mouth.
Acid Reflux Disease: Acid reflux disease is often associated with acidic foods and stress. These can also be factors in the creation of mouth sores, ulcers, and canker sores. If you have sores or ulcers in your mouth, there’s a good chance you also have them in your stomach.
Diabetes: Periodontal disease can cause inflammation, disturbing your metabolic rate. This may cause your body to speed up the amount of glucose produced, leading to pre-diabetic conditions.
Cardiovascular Disease: Sore, bleeding, and inflamed gums are associated with cardiovascular disease. This is caused by inflammatory bacteria that can block coronary arteries.

Having your mouth thoroughly checked out by a dentist is an easy way to spot these problems before they cause extreme pain and long-lasting problems. X-rays, surgery, and other procedures can be expensive, but a regular dental checkup is affordable for most and may be all the prevention you need.

How to Maintain Good Dental Health

There are certain measures to take in order to maintain optimal dental health:

Brush, floss, and swish regularly. A vigorous brushing loosens up plaque. The best toothpastes to use in order to get rid of hard-to-reach bacteria are anti-plaque and anti-tartar toothpastes. Flossing regularly gets into the small crevices between the teeth and gums. This releases the hidden bacteria, even the bacteria that is close to getting in your bloodstream. Also, using special dental tools like water irrigation, toothpicks, and advanced toothbrushes can further help your dental health.

Eat healthy foods. Many foods containing sugars and acidic ingredients may wear on tooth enamel. However, natural foods contain essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to maintain good oral health. For instance, cheese, lean protein (chicken, grass-fed beef, etc.), nuts, plain yogurt and other dairy products provide calcium and phosphorous to “remineralize” teeth, a process during which minerals are put back onto teeth enamel after acids remove them.

Firm and crunchy fruits and veggies like apples, celery and pears, which have a high water content, stimulate the flow of saliva (useful for protecting against tooth decay and acid) and dilutes the effects of sugars, making them especially beneficial for oral health.

If you eat an unbalanced, highly processed or fast-food diet, meanwhile, it will be impossible for your immune system to function at its best, and studies show that people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of gum disease.

Likewise, poor diet also increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes, which both in turn are linked to gum disease and other oral health problems.

Sugar and starches (bread, crackers, cereal) are particularly problematic when they’re left on your teeth after a snack of meal. Sugar feed bacteria in your mouth, while both starches and sugar produce acid in your mouth that can erode tooth enamel and lead to cavities. Anytime you eat a sugary, starchy food, you should brush your teeth afterward to remove the damaging substances from your mouth.

Be especially diligent to not go to sleep after eating a sugar or starchy snack, as they will linger on your teeth, causing damage until your morning brushing. Be sure to also avoid giving toddlers a bottle of juice or milk (which contains natural sugars) to sip on for long periods, or right before bed, without brushing their teeth afterward.

Don’t stress. Many studies find that stress creates problems for your entire body. The body releases a hormone called cortisol, which can make periodontal disease worse. During times of stress, you’re also more likely to neglect your oral hygiene routine, and may skip brushing and flossing, or indulge in habits that negatively impact oral health, like smoking or eating sweets.

Don’t smoke. Tobacco and tar both wreak havoc on the body. The gums, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system all suffer because of the unnatural chemicals found in cigarettes.

Visit your dentist. Regular teeth cleanings and check-ups are essential to disease prevention and finding health problems before they get serious.

Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor and Dentist

If you visit your doctor or dentist and have any of the problems defined above, be sure to ask your medical professional some of these questions.