Seeing that your gums and your penis are located on opposite ends of your body, you probably wouldn’t think they would be related to each other in any way. But you would be wrong. Your body is like a giant clock, and every part is related to the others in some way. Thus, the health of your gums can say a lot about your erection.
This correlation was discovered during a recently conducted study, which found that men with erection problems were three times more likely to have gum disease than men who do not have erection problems.
The study found that 53% of the surveyed male patients with erection problems had severe gum disease, compared with 23% who did not have erection problems. The study included 80 male patients with erection and 82 male patients without erection problems. The researchers also reported that none of the subjects were smokers, due to the fact that smoking can lead to both erection problems and gum disease, and could have thrown off the findings of the study. The study was also limited to men 30 years to 40 years old in an effort to rule out age as a risk factor. Even after accounting for age, body mass index (BMI), household income, and education status, the association between poor dental hygiene and erection problems was undeniable.
The researchers revealed that the relation between the two was due to inflammation. Inflammation, which is the body’s immune response in action, may spread from the gums and harm other parts of the body. Gum disease is marked by bleeding of the gums and bone structure of teeth, and if left untreated, can cause tooth decay and tooth loss as immune cells launch an all-out attack on pathogens in the mouth. These bacteria can also seep into the bloodstream and damage blood vessels, and because erection problems can be caused by impaired blood flow in the penis, poor dental hygiene can be associated with erection problems.
Thankfully, the way to combat gum disease and erection problems is simple: Brush and floss your teeth every day. By practicing good oral hygiene, you’ll keep your mouth, and your penis, happy.
Evan Hopkins is a 24 year old writer operating out of Atlanta, GA. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys reading books, drinking coffee, and folk music.