When discussing the health consequences of a warming planet, conversations often focus on heat-related illness, respiratory disease and natural disasters. Far less attention has been paid to what these changes could mean for oral health – but that is beginning to change.
During a recent presentation exploring the intersection of oral health and planetary health, a CU Anschutz School of Dental Medicine faculty expert highlighted a growing area of interest: how rising temperatures, poor air quality and chronic inflammatory diseases may interact to influence broader health outcomes.
“The evidence linking climate change and oral health remains limited, but the biologic plausibility is compelling enough that dentistry should be part of the conversation,” they said.
While direct evidence linking these factors to oral disease remains limited, emerging research suggests dentistry could have an important role to play in understanding these complex relationships.
The health effects of extreme heat are well documented. As heat waves become more frequent and intense, they place additional strain on the body's cardiovascular system. Older adults, people living with disabilities and individuals managing chronic diseases face particularly elevated risks during periods of prolonged heat.
At the same time, periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease share a common feature: inflammation.
Long-standing periodontal disease contributes to elevated inflammatory markers throughout the body. Researchers have found evidence that bacteria and inflammation associated with periodontal disease may influence the health of blood vessels, helping explain the growing interest in links between oral health and cardiovascular disease.
While extreme heat and air pollution are often discussed separately, both can increase inflammatory stress throughout the body. Researchers are increasingly interested in whether these exposures may interact with chronic conditions such as periodontal disease, creating overlapping risks for certain populations.
Another pathway attracting attention involves air quality.
Fine particulate matter, commonly known as PM2.5, is produced by sources including vehicle emissions, fossil fuel combustion and wildfire smoke. Research has linked long-term exposure to these particles with adverse health outcomes ranging from respiratory disease and cardiovascular complications to systemic inflammation. Growing evidence also suggests that air pollution may increase the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes.
For dental professionals, that connection is particularly noteworthy because diabetes is among the strongest risk factors for severe periodontal disease.
This relationship raises important research questions. If prolonged exposure to air pollution contributes to diabetes risk, and diabetes increases susceptibility to periodontal disease, oral health may represent one piece of a much larger picture involving chronic disease and inflammatory burden. These overlapping risks may be especially important for populations already facing elevated rates of chronic disease.
“As the climate changes and we experience more severe heat events, the cumulative burden of oral and systemic chronic infections on the cardiovascular system may increase risk for poorer overall health outcomes,” the CU Anschutz Dental faculty expert said.
Older adults sit at the intersection of many of these concerns.
Roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults age 65 and older have periodontitis, making it one of the most common chronic conditions affecting older adults. According to data presented during the session, at least one in 10 older adults has severe periodontitis. People with severe periodontitis are estimated to have a 15% to 45% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Meanwhile, older adults are among the populations most susceptible to heat-related illness and mortality. Recent estimates presented during the session indicated that heat-related deaths among adults age 65 and older have risen substantially in recent decades.
Taken individually, these factors present significant public health challenges. Together, they highlight the need to better understand how oral disease, cardiovascular conditions and heat exposure may interact over time.
Compared with the extensive literature examining heat, air pollution and overall health, research focused specifically on oral health remains in its infancy. The presentation repeatedly emphasized that the evidence base is limited and that substantial knowledge gaps remain.
More than 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by oral diseases, while severe periodontitis impacts approximately one billion adults globally. At the same time, heat exposure, air pollution and chronic disease continue to affect communities around the world. Understanding where these issues intersect may help inform future research priorities and encourage stronger collaboration among dental medicine, medicine and public health.
The challenge for dental researchers is not simply determining whether a changing planet influences oral health. It is identifying how oral disease fits within broader patterns of inflammation, chronic disease and population health.
As scientists continue exploring the relationships among heat stress, air pollution, periodontal disease and cardiovascular health, one conclusion is already clear: oral health cannot be viewed in isolation. By helping close the knowledge gap between dental medicine and broader health research, the profession has an opportunity to play a larger role in understanding how emerging public health challenges affect patients and communities.