Jonesborough, Jefferson City, and Greeneville, TN
If you’re looking to lose weight, chances are that you’re focusing on willpower, calorie consumption and an active lifestyle. But would you guess that your oral health could be playing a role in your inability to lose weight?
Surprisingly, your oral health can have a significant impact on your weight — and the ability to lose it. Let’s look today with our dentist in Erwin at ways that your physical health can sometimes start with something as simple as your smile.
Diet and chewing problems
Poor oral health can undermine even the best nutritional intentions. Starting a weight loss journey often involves reaching for more fresh fruits and vegetables — the kinds of food that are rich in nutrients and low in calories. But what happens when eating these foods becomes uncomfortable or even painful? For many, conditions like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder or gum disease can make chewing difficult, turning mealtimes into a challenge. As a result, it’s easy to turn to soft, highly processed foods that are easier to consume but much less healthy. This change not only impacts your ability to maintain a balanced diet, but it can also slow or entirely halt your weight loss efforts.
Inflammation
Gum disease — also called periodontal disease — does more than affect your smile. It creates chronic, low-level inflammation throughout the body, which can have a significant impact on metabolism. Studies suggest this kind of ongoing inflammation may interfere with how the body handles insulin, making it tougher to manage blood sugar and burn fat effectively. In other words, poor oral health may be working against your efforts to stay healthy and maintain a balanced weight.
Poor sleep health
Do you grind your teeth (bruxism) or struggle with sleep apnea? Both can interfere with a good night’s rest, and poor sleep is known to have a direct impact on your weight. When you’re not sleeping well, the hormones that control hunger and fullness can get thrown out of balance. The result is that you feel hungrier, crave sugary or carb-heavy foods and find it harder to stick to your health goals.
Oral and gut health
The mouth is the starting point of the digestive system, and the harmful bacteria living there can travel to your gut, disrupting the balance of your microbiome — a key player in how the body digests food and manages weight. Keeping a healthy mouth helps support a balanced gut, which can make it easier to maintain a healthy metabolism and reach weight goals.
Comprehensive dental care in Erwin, Jonesborough and Greeneville, Tennessee
At Tusculum Dental Care, we’re here to support more than your smile — we want to support your overall health and well-being. If you’re struggling on your weight loss journey, reach out to us. A healthy mouth might just be the missing piece of the puzzle. Contact us today at (423) 639-7575, or reach out to us online today.