Your Toothbrush and Respiratory Infections

It turns out that tooth brushing, like hand washing, is an easy and effective health habit that may help you (or your child) fend off chest colds and other nasty respiratory infections. While we tend to think of the winter months as "cold season," the fact is that colds, flu and other bugs that make a mess of your lungs can hit at any time. In fact, some people swear that the most miserable colds are those they suffer in the spring. Suffering a hacking cough and stuffed up head is bad enough, but getting hit just as winter is melting, the daffodils are pushing up, and the crocus are popping---yes, that's a particular bummer.

Every day, it seems, more information comes to light about the importance of oral health to overall health. Gingivitis, inflammation of the gums, for example, has been linked to an increased risk of cardiac arrest and other heart disease, as well as diabetes. Regular and effective tooth brushing is an important part of preventing and treating inflammation of the gums. Now, however, recent research has shown that frequent tooth brushing also may be key to preventing chest colds and even pneumonia.

Researchers at the Tel Aviv University Department of Nursing made this discovery in a hospital setting. For patients with lengthy hospital stays and, in particular, patients who are on ventilators, one of the major risks is contracting pneumonia, a potentially fatal inflammatory illness affecting the lungs.

Nurses caring for such patients at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, and other major medical facilities in Israel, started a program of brushing patients' teeth at least three times a day, rather than the less frequent daily program that had been followed. When patients had their teeth cleaned more frequently, their risk of developing pneumonia decreased dramatically. Even patients who were unconscious had their pneumonia risk reduced by up to 50%.

That's really good news for the person who, by virtue of needing mechanical assistance to breathe, is already less able to deal with the knock-out punch of a respiratory infection.

That's also good news for healthier folks. While the researchers in the Tel Aviv study don't know if the improvement came from cleaner teeth and a cleaner mouth, or from coincidental cleaning of the ventilator tube, more frequent tooth brushing certainly is worth a try for those who want to avoid chest colds of all kinds. If you have a child who seems to get a lot of colds, or who suffers greatly with the few he does get, taking extra care with the thoroughness and frequency of tooth brushing may really pay off.

Of course, it's not always easy to get children to brush their teeth thoroughly, much less thoroughly and often. But even if you can step up tooth brushing just during cold season, or in situations where your child typically comes down with a cough or chest cold, you're adding one more layer of protection to your child's immune defenses.

To be helpful, toothbrushes must be clean and in good working order. At the first sign of a possible oral or respiratory infection (whether the cold starts in the chest or in the sinuses), it is a good idea to go into disposable toothbrush mode.

While it's not likely that a person can be re-infected via a toothbrush, there's no need to take any chances. Collect the free toothbrushes you get from your dentist or stockpile inexpensive ones from the drug or dollar store. As soon as you think you or your child is getting sick, step up the frequency of tooth brushing and change out your toothbrushes often. This is especially important when there are oral lesions present, such as cold or canker sores.

Tooth brushing, like hand washing, can work to prevent or limit colds. More frequent tooth brushing may not always be convenient, particularly when it involves helping your child brush, but it's a health habit that is well worth establishing. As a response to the common cold, it's one more tool that Doctor Mom and Doctor Dad can use to help their children get back on the playing field.

*** This article does not constitute medical advice.

Source:

"Toothbrushing Can Prevent Hospital-borne Pneumonia," Science Daily.