Untreated teeth – consequences for the whole body

A tooth is not a separate, autonomous entity "stuck" in our jaw with no connection to the rest of the body. The gums, periodontium and tooth pulp are living, blood-supplied tissues that form an open gateway for bacteria, through which they can freely pass into the whole bloodstream. One might ask – are there really so many of them, and are they dangerous enough to be worth worrying about?

Indeed. Nearly 400 different species of bacteria live in our mouth. And, although it may be hard to believe, they contribute to numerous diseases and even, indirectly, to premature death. How is this possible? The dentists of the NL Clinic dental centre explain.

Where can cariogenic bacteria reach?

While the vast majority of the bacteria inhabiting our mouth are not that dangerous, the cariogenic and putrefactive bacteria living in the periodontium can be a catalyst for very serious diseases of the whole body, including conditions as dangerous as sepsis or meningitis. These harmful microorganisms also feel at home in parts of our body as distant as the joints, lungs, optic nerve and heart muscle, causing inflammation in these places by their presence. What is much more important, however, the body's defence reaction can be directed against its own tissues, causing their irreversible damage. Untreated teeth can also have a very negative effect on the work of the kidneys, whose main role is, after all, to purify the blood. The enzymes produced by cariogenic bacteria are strong toxins that our kidneys have to cope with every minute.

An analogous situation can be observed in the case of the joints, which are also reached by the enzymes, toxins and metabolic products of the bacteria living in the mouth. Their appearance in the joints results in serious inflammation and damage.

An even greater threat is untreated teeth during pregnancy, because for the same reason – i.e. the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the bloodstream – they are a direct and real threat to the health of the foetus. More on this in the article "Oral hygiene in pregnancy".

Unfortunately, this is not the end of the complications caused by untreated teeth. Some of them are directly related to pathological conditions in the mouth, while others are a distant consequence of gaps in the dentition. A classic example of this is the next case discussed.

Untreated teeth and gastric ulcer disease, headaches, sinus and throat pain

Without an efficient chewing apparatus and with nothing to grind food with, we automatically swallow larger, unchewed morsels, thereby skipping the first stage of digestion, which begins in the mouth. This means that the digestion process in the stomach not only takes much longer but also requires a greater amount of digestive juices. The body therefore begins an overproduction of hydrochloric acid, which has a harmful effect on the delicate gastric mucosa – and that is already a direct path to gastric ulcer disease.

Gaps in the dentition and an incorrect bite can also result in future painful overloading of the temporomandibular joints and headaches. The latter can also be caused by bacterial inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, often triggered by deep decay of the upper teeth. If you would like to make sure whether, in your case, there is a link between sinus pain and hidden decay, we invite you to our dental practice in the Tysiąclecia district in Katowice.

The streptococci present in untreated teeth are also responsible for one more ailment, often attributed to a so-called cold – namely inflammation of the throat and/or tonsils. Cold, e.g. entering the throat with frosty air, ice cream or cold drinks, induces a local drop in the body's immunity, and then the streptococci can expand onto the palatine tonsils and the soft tissues surrounding them.

Diseased teeth one of the causes of diabetes?

The observations of scholars from Columbia University and German researchers turned out to be interesting and, at the same time, alarming. In a 20-year study carried out on 9 thousand people, the Americans managed to prove a close link between periodontal diseases and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes.

Firstly, in people who had neglected the treatment of the teeth and periodontium, and especially periodontosis, this disease developed much faster. Secondly, according to the German scholars, untreated teeth became the starting point for a certain vicious circle. Periodontosis affects the development of diabetes, which in turn contributes to gum diseases through its negative effect on the blood vessels. The treatment of diabetes in patients suffering from periodontal diseases, meanwhile, brought lesser effects. The good news is that it was enough to undertake dental treatment for the blood glucose level to start falling.

How do periodontal diseases affect the heart?

The considerable distance between the teeth and the heart is no barrier for cariogenic bacteria, which easily and quickly pass from the mouth into the so-called atherosclerotic plaque found in the blood vessels. Inflammation of the periodontium has a very clear effect on the deposition of the said plaque, which causes cardiovascular disorders. If that does not sound alarming enough, it is worth realising that these, in turn, are a cause of strokes and heart attacks. People who struggle with cardiovascular diseases can also significantly worsen their condition by not treating their teeth, because cariogenic bacteria relatively often cause bacterial inflammation of the heart valves and the endocardium.

Tartar that is not removed is not only a breeding ground for the bacteria responsible for the above-mentioned diseases or an unpleasant smell from the mouth, but also increasingly forces its way under the gums, pushing them away from the tooth. This process is the first stage of periodontosis, leading to the loosening and loss of teeth.

Contrary to appearances, however, the havoc wreaked in the body of a person with untreated periodontosis does not end with the last lost tooth. British scientists noted a threefold higher risk of dementia in older people who had lost their teeth. This is attributed to two factors linked to the lack of teeth: inflammation, which could have had a destructive effect on the brain, and an impoverished diet resulting from the inability to chew.

The consequences of neglecting dental prevention listed above are, surprisingly, not the most drastic effects of untreated teeth. Medicine is well aware of cases of pathologically changed tissues transforming into tumours and of the facial skeleton being literally eaten away by aggressive bacteria multiplying in the teeth.

Such dramatic effects of neglected teeth may of course never occur, but the condition is oral hygiene, a cariostatic diet and preventive visits to the dentist. If the above arguments of our dentists are convincing, we cordially invite you to your first visit to our NL Clinic dental centre in Katowice, where we see the prevention of dental diseases in the context of the benefits it brings to the whole body.

What services does dental prevention at NL Clinic cover?

Early recognition of problems usually allows for more effective, less invasive treatment, which is why we carry out reliable check-ups and offer a range of preventive measures aimed at eliminating potential threats in the bud. Placing yourself in the hands of dentists by vocation, you can be sure that their overriding goal is to spare you pain.

Dental prevention at NL Clinic covers procedures such as sealing (or deep sealing) of the fissures of permanent teeth, varnishing of permanent teeth with the FLUOR PROTECTOR preparation, removal of tartar, professional cleaning of the teeth with sandblasting and tooth RVG.

What do preventive-hygienic dental treatments give, and how do they differ?

• Sealing of the fissures of permanent teeth – a dental procedure involving the sealing of the depressions and fissures on the chewing surface of the tooth. The filling is done using a fissure sealant – a special light-cured substance. Only healthy molars and premolars can be sealed. The procedure strengthens the protection of the enamel against the attack of cariogenic bacteria and acids and is recommended to be carried out as soon as possible after eruption.
• Varnishing of permanent teeth with the FLUOR PROTECTOR preparation – a preventive fluoridation procedure involving rubbing fluoride varnishes into the teeth, which form an effective protective layer for the enamel on the surface of the tooth. The concentration of fluoride in such preparations (from 0.1 to 6%) is much higher than in commonly available toothpastes or liquids. Varnishing with the Fluor Protector preparation just twice a year reduces decay by up to 75%.
• Tooth sandblasting is a procedure aimed at mechanically removing impurities from the surface of the teeth using a so-called sandblaster and specialist chemical agents. It involves removing certain discolourations, deposits and small tartar using a stream of water containing a sandblasting agent. For the patient's comfort, a suction device is used during the procedure that continuously suctions the sand out of the mouth. After the procedure the tooth surface becomes smooth and whiter. In the case of larger tartar deposits, sandblasting often goes hand in hand with scaling.
• Scaling, like sandblasting, is also a method of removing tartar, but recommended in the case of significantly harder and larger deposits of it. It is done using a so-called ultrasonic scaler which, through the very high frequency of ultrasound, causes the tartar to fall off. Thanks to this preventive procedure we prevent such consequences of tartar as the lowering and exposure of the tooth necks, atrophy of the alveolar bone, loosening of the teeth or, finally, periodontosis. After scaling, a varnishing procedure is often carried out to eliminate tooth sensitivity and strengthen the cleaned surfaces.
• Tooth RVG – the most modern and precise method of taking digital images of teeth thanks to radiovisiography. What is more, the radiation used for the images is even 20 times lower than in the case of RTG images. This makes it possible to analyse the condition of the tooth precisely and repeatedly from every angle without exposing the patient's health to unnecessary risk.

Before applying any of the mentioned methods of dental prevention, our doctors conduct a thorough interview to detect any contraindications. Some procedures cannot be recommended due to the condition of the teeth, having a cardiac pacemaker or pregnancy.

Although the importance of dental prevention for health is enormous, it is often undertaken too late or does not turn out to be sufficient to protect against decay or other conditions. In such cases we undertake conservative treatment.

Studies

1. Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases: Consensus report

   Sanz M., Marco del Castillo A., Jepsen S., Gonzalez-Juanatey J. R., D'Aiuto F., Bouchard P., Chapple I., Dietrich T. i wsp. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Periodontology · consensus report and evidence review

   Periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and shares some risk factors with it. Treatment improves oral health and inflammatory markers, but it has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes on its own.

2. Bidirectional association between periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

   Stöhr J., Barbaresko J., Neuenschwander M., Schlesinger S. (2021) · Scientific Reports · meta-analysis of cohort studies

   People with periodontitis more often developed type 2 diabetes during follow-up. The relationship may run both ways, so glycaemic control and periodontal health should support each other.

3. Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Endodontic Infection. Is There an Association? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

   Koletsi D., Iliadi A., Tzanetakis G. N., Vavuranakis M., Eliades T. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · systematic review and meta-analysis

   Inflammatory lesions of endodontic origin were statistically associated with cardiovascular disease in the available studies. That justifies treating foci of infection for the sake of oral health but does not prove that root canal treatment prevents heart disease.

4. Risk factors and preventive measures for severe orofacial and neck infections: a three-year observational study

   Velhonoja J., Lääveri M., Soukka T., Haatainen S., Al-Neshawy N., Kinnunen I., Irjala H. (2025) · BMC Oral Health · retrospective observational study

   Severe odontogenic infections of the face and neck can quickly require hospital admission, intravenous antibiotics and surgery. The risk of a severe course rose with, among other things, delayed treatment and coexisting conditions.