A recent study has shown that testosterone may have a direct impact on your oral health and wellness. Because oral health affects the entire body, this means that testosterone could actually impact not just your teeth and gums but also your general health and wellness. Here’s what you need to know about testosterone and your dental health.

The Testosterone Study

In a study conducted at Texas A&M University, the Baylor College of Dentistry team looked at the connection between macaques and testosterone. Studies on macaques are so valuable because they’re the most common non-human primates worldwide and thus share much in common with humans.

The study was conducted on macaques who lived at a primate research facility in Puerto Rico. This facility is a dedicated home to multiple generations of these primates, and it’s thus an ideal way to study changes without concerns about outside influences. When studying the skeletons on castrated macaques who had died naturally, some important differences were noted between those macaques and the intact ones. No macaques were harmed in any way for this study, as it was conducted entirely on those animals that passed away due to natural causes.

Periodontitis and Testosterone: The Connection

The macaques who were castrated had obvious signs of periodontitis while the ones who were intact rarely did. The researchers compared macaques of roughly the same ages and stage of development to ensure that the results were reliable. Several interesting cases emerged during this study. In particular, two of the older castrated macaques had a dramatic recession in the jaw bone. This means that severe periodontitis took over as the macaques aged. Even the younger macaques showed some obvious signs of periodontitis when compared to the younger macaques who were still intact at the time of their death.

It’s not definitively known why a lack of testosterone causes oral health problems, but having this information is extremely valuable for men today. Being aware that low testosterone can lead to poor oral health — and even serious results like loss of jaw bone over time — allows you to take steps to prevent this type of outcome right now.

Implications For Humans

While very few adult men are castrated in today’s world, the study still has important implications for humans. Low testosterone is a common problem for men as they age. It may also appear in younger men, sometimes as early as the 20s. Many men suffer from signs of low testosterone such as reduced libido, hair loss, and loss of muscle tone. If you recognize these signs and get a diagnosis now, you can manage hormone levels to protect both your oral health and your whole body health.

Prostate cancer, in which testosterone levels will be greatly reduced, has become very common today with around one of every seven adult males having it today. The good news is that prostate cancer is very treatable and that testosterone can be replaced.

There are also other reasons that a man could have low testosterone or even no testosterone in the body. Sexual reassignment patients (male to female) will have less and less testosterone until it’s eliminated from the body. No matter what the reason that low testosterone occurs, it’s important to be aware that a lack of testosterone could have an effect on both oral health and overall body health. If you’re dealing with low testosterone, you can work with your physician and with Dr. Shields to come up with a plan to maintain good oral health now and for the rest of your life.

A Holistic Dentist You Can Trust

Dr. Tiffany Shields is the Jacksonville, Florida holistic dentist behind Smiles By Shields. She firmly believes that your oral health is an important component of your whole body health, and she does everything possible to help you have the best of both. Smiles By Shields Provides holistic dentistry, comprehensive dentistry, and cosmetic dentistry in a soothing and welcoming environment. Contact Smiles By Shields anytime to arrange an appointment.