Longevity is all the rage, from anti-aging skin treatments to diets optimized for living longer − but while you may be paying attention to what foods you're putting in your mouth, are you paying enough attention to your mouth itself?
Experts say your gums − yes, that often-overlooked part of your dental hygiene routine − can have a major impact on your overall health and may be aging you faster than you think.
"More and more people are seeing the mouth as the gateway to the body and understanding that oral health and systemic health are not just correlated, but they're actually causally related," Dr. Jason Auerbach, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon known as @bloodytoothguy on social media, told USA TODAY.
Gum disease, otherwise known as gingivitis or periodontitis, is generalized inflammation of the soft tissues around the teeth.
"It's basically an infectious disease, but it yields significant amount of inflammation, and that inflammation is really where the concern lies," Auerbach said. "We're finding that there's increased risk for cognitive decline, including things like Alzheimer's, and patients who are who have had chronic inflammation in the soft tissue."
