Article by Dr. Mark Burhenne
A peer-reviewed study just confirmed something we’ve known in functional dentistry for years:
The inflammation in your mouth doesn’t stay there.
It travels.
The sulcular epithelium separating your gums from your capillary-rich connective tissue is extremely thin—less than 0.3 mm in healthy gums. Inflammation makes it even more permeable, meaning the bacteria and inflammatory byproducts in your mouth can sneak into circulation and silently ignite inflammation anywhere in your body—your heart, your brain, even your joints.
This isn’t about plaque or fresh breath. This is about protecting your life from chronic inflammation—and it starts with how you care for your mouth.
A Quick Recap of the Study:
Published in Scientific Reports, this peer-reviewed study followed 1,675 patients over 3 years and found:
- Those who brushed only in the morning had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease
- The strongest protective association in the study was observed with consistent nighttime brushing.
- The likely mechanism? Oral dysbiosis and periodontal inflammation are thought to contribute to systemic inflammation by elevating cytokine levels (like IL-6 and TNF-alpha), which in turn increase CRP. Bacterial endotoxins may also enter circulation via damaged gingival tissue.
If you’re not brushing before bed, you could be accidentally fueling the very inflammation you’re trying to reduce.
