Why Healthy Teeth May Depend On Omega-3 & Exercise

These three things (health teeth, omega-3s, exercise) don’t seem very related, do they?

And yet…

The surprising link and why it matters for the longevity of your teeth

Researchers (Dr. Ana Ribeiro et al.) found that combining regular exercise with omega-3 supplements significantly reduced inflammation and bone loss linked to chronic tooth root infections (apical periodontitis).

Apical periodontis is incredibly common, and it happens when bacteria from untreated tooth decay travel through the root canal to the tooth’s tip, inflaming nearby bone tissue. If left untreated, it can destroy bone, loosen teeth, and worsen systemic conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, arteriosclerosis, and kidney disease.

So in other words, the consequences range from “toothache” to “dead”.

So, why exercise and omega-3s?

• How exercise helps: the study showed that physical activity alone improves immune regulation and reduces local inflammation (i.e., in the mouth), showing that movement benefits the mouth as well as the body.
• How omega-3s help: omega-3 fatty acids (well-known for anti-inflammatory effects) boosted these improvements when combined with exercise, lowering harmful cytokines (IL-17 and TNF-α) and protecting the bones into which the teeth are set.

Both intervention groups improved, but the combination achieved the strongest immune balance, least inflammation, and best bone preservation on micro-CT scans, and on the cellular level; fewer osteoclasts (cells that break down bone) were found in the exercise and omega-3 groups, confirming less bone destruction.

You may be thinking: “that’s all well and good, but my teeth and gums are fine”

However,

❝It’s a condition that patients may not even know they have because of its chronic nature, but which can evolve and lead to bone destruction and tooth mobility. In addition, in specific situations, such as a drop in immunity, it can become acute, so the patient starts to feel pain, pus forms at the site, the face can become swollen❞

~ Dr. Rogério de Castilho, co-author of the study

In other words: it seems fine until suddenly you’re in pain, swollen, and leaking pus.

So, prevention is definitely better than cure!

You can read the paper in full, here: Physical exercise alone or combined with omega-3 modulates apical periodontitis

Want more ways to improve things?

Hollywood’s most “perfect” whites would be nothing without the gums holding them in place. So, set aside the cosmetic whitening products that often harm gums (anything containing bleach / hydrogen peroxide, is generally a bad idea), and instead focus on your gums.

As for avoiding gum disease (periodontitis)?

❝In conclusion, periodontitis might enhance the association of biological aging with all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults.

Hence, maintaining and enhancing periodontal health is expected to become an intervention to slow aging and extend life span.❞

Source: Does Periodontitis Affect the Association of Biological Aging with Mortality?

To look after the whole, you have to take care of the parts. So, with this in mind:

• How To Regrow Receding Gums
• Make Your Saliva Better For Your Teeth
• Tooth Remineralization: How To Heal Your Teeth Naturally

Want to learn even more?

Check out this three-part special we did on oral hygiene:

• Toothpastes & Mouthwashes: Which Help And Which Harm?
• Flossing, Better (And Easier!)
• Less Common Oral Hygiene Options ← this writer is personally a big fan of the miswak stick! While she wouldn’t want to replace the other options entirely, it’s a great quick-and-easy on-the-go way to give one’s teeth a quick clean after a coffee or snack or such, without having to go to a bathroom and use a toothbrush and toothpaste etc.

Take care!