Teeth and mouth health affects digestion as this is the beginning food intake into the body. It is the enzymes in the mouth that start to ingest food or drink. Chewing on the teeth also helps in breaking down the foods into manageable chunks for the stomach setting it up for optimal digestion. The overall digestive strength suffers if there is impairment of these oral functions.

Tooth loss inhibits digestion

Tooth loss affects metabolism because it prevents proper chewing of food. Anyone experiencing tooth or gum pain will find it almost impossible to withstand the shock when chewing. An oral infection, missing or misaligned tooth affects chewing and digestion because the food that will get into the stomach will be in larger crumbs which the stomach is not made to handle with ease. Some oral and teeth infections require the extraction of the infected teeth.

Chewing will still be difficult or impossible with missing or unsupported teeth. It is the reason those people find it uncomfortable to eat with the side of the mouth where a tooth is extracted and start using just one. Loss of teeth can be corrected with implants or bridges to fill the gaps or dentures for filling several missing teeth. However, they are a partial solution as they still impede eating harder foods.

Periodontal disease causes ulcers

Periodontal gum disease is an infection that affects tissues surrounding the teeth. Plaque made up of bacteria, and food remain is the cause. Failing to remove the plaque worsens the action by bacteria causing infection and inflammation of the gums.

Bacteria that keep collecting in the mouth due to the presence of periodontal disease start to move to the stomach causing another infection continuously. The bacteria settle on the stomach lining eating and making holes that cause peptic ulcers. These ulcers cause swelling or scarring and block the opening leading to small intestine thus affecting digestion process between the two parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Treatment side effects

The severity of a tooth infection determines the kind of treatment that the dentist prescribes. In some instances, it might require a prescription of some antibiotics to kill the bacteria. The antibiotics help in reducing the pain, but they also cause stomach upsets that in turn affects the digestion. More dangerous abscess requires pulling out the tooth or a root canal for removal of abscess and bacteria. It is better than taking antibiotics which affect digestion some more.

Shift of body resources to bacterial fight

Gum disease and tooth decay occur after bacterial infections. The body sends most white blood cells to the mouth to fight off a tooth, gum or mouth infection. White blood cells are the cells of the immune system that protect the body against disease and foreign organism invasion. The body spends many resources to fight the infection in the mouth leaving gastrointestinal tract vulnerable to opportunistic infections some of which affect the digestion process. It is the reason why patients with GI infections recover from most or all of them after sorting out the dental problems.

Chronic pain

Tooth infection or abscess that occurs after bacteria gets into a tooth are the causes of tooth pain for most people. It occurs when a tooth cracks, chips or when the cavity progresses without appropriate treatment. Tooth abscess causes persistent discomfort and pain that at times becomes intense to the extent of upsetting the stomach.

Interferes with breakdown of food by saliva

Digestion of foods begins in the mouth before it reaches the stomach. Enzymes in saliva are the first process of digestion for fats and starches. Saliva has amylase, a catalyst to help in breaking down some carbohydrates into dextrin and maltose. Bacteria that cause mouth infections upsets the enzymes in saliva causing oral imbalances that interfere with chemical interactions.

It is essential to maintain teeth and oral health as the mouth is the first stage of digestion. It can cause swallowing of food before proper breakdown, and the absorption in the stomach will overload other organs to work harder. Such digestion causes stomach problems like irritable bowels, stomach aches, indigestion, and gas because the GI tract is breaking down complex food.

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