Pneumonia: Do not sleep with your teeth on
Janine Berdelmann studied social sciences and completed her traineeship in the editorial team. She is the author of numerous science news and advice topics on .
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.MunichWe learn early on that brushing our teeth is the be-all and end-all. Nevertheless, the pearly whites are not left without a trace. In old age, sometimes only an artificial bit helps. But be careful: Those who do not properly care for their "third parties" and, especially at night, do not take them out of their mouths risk life-threatening pneumonia.
When eating, something always gets stuck between the teeth or the prosthesis. Proper oral hygiene is extremely important to ensure that the bacteria do not cause infections or tooth decay there - even with artificial teeth. But some people forget to clean their teeth and go to bed with the prosthesis in their mouth. Exactly this can have life-threatening consequences, as a research team led by Toshimitsu Iinuma from the Nihon University School of Dentistry in Japan has now discovered.
Risk of lung infection doubled
For their study, the scientists recruited 524 seniors over 80 years of age, 453 of whom wore dentures. For three years, the researchers recorded the subjects' data on their oral health, hygiene behavior, general health and blood values. In addition, it was recorded whether participants developed pneumonia or even died during the study period.
It was found that those who kept their dentures in their mouths at night (186 seniors) had twice the risk of pneumonia than those who did not go to bed with the dentures on.
Migratory bacteria
Although all participants with artificial teeth complained of difficulty swallowing, the probability of plaques on the tongue or teeth, inflammation of the gums or other infections in the mouth area was increased for the nocturnal dentition wearers.
The teeming life in the mouth is also one of the reasons for the higher risk of pneumonia: it is caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. If there are already other sources of inflammation in the body - such as the mouth - there is an increased risk that the pathogens will also migrate to the lungs.
In addition, older people in particular generally have a weaker immune system. This puts them at risk of developing pneumonia from the outset. They are also more likely to die from pneumonia. It is therefore all the more important for older denture wearers to ensure good oral hygiene, i.e. to clean their dentures daily and take them out of their mouth at night. Experts also recommend cleaning the third person outside of the mouth at least twice a day.
That would be an easy way to prevent pneumonia. And prevention is essential, because around 400,000 people in Germany develop pneumonia every year, around five percent of whom die as a result. This makes pneumonia one of the deadliest infections in western countries. (jb)
Source: Iinuma T. et al .: “Denture Wearing during Sleep Doubles the Risk of Pneumonia in the Very Elderly”; Journal of Dental Reasearch (JDR). 08/10/2014.
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