Better dental health can benefit people with COPD

Dentists in the UK have recently published a paper outlining the importance of maintaining good dental health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The authors noted that, as bacteria around the gums can travel into the lung and cause infections, dental hygiene should be a priority among people with COPD, since infections can be particularly severe among this group of people.

In addition, the dental experts highlighted the fact that different drug treatments for COPD can impact upon dental health, for example by causing a dry mouth or oral thrush.

The dentists concluded that better oral health could help people with COPD to avoid flare-ups of their symptoms.

Read the journal abstract.