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Don’t be surprised if your dentist measures your waist!
[mis à jour le 20 November 2009 à 15h53]
Count your teeth … Did you know that someone who only has 21 teeth left out of their original 32 runs a three times higher risk of being obese or overweight? There is a close link between the size of our waist and our dental health, as Dr Isabelle Bailleul-Forestier, a hospital physician in Paris explains.
Having a number of teeth missing means that there will be a poor distribution of masticatory forces, she explained at the Entretiens de Garancière meeting of the French dental association. People with missing teeth tend not to chew properly and to eat soft foods such as starches and fats, like chips for example. And this is likely to be at the expense of fruits such as apples, which are difficult to bite and chew.
She also referred to numerous studies that have demonstrated the relationship between being overweight and having tooth decay. People who suffer from tooth decay tend to consume more sweet foods and also tend to snack a lot – both of which are known to encourage tooth decay.
According to Dr Bailleul-Forestier, obesity can lead to inflammation of the gums. Eventually, this is likely to affect your teeth, causing them to become loose. So, be warned – if your dentist asks you your BMI or measures your waist, you’ll know the reason why…
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