You know the old song that lists what bones are connected to what? Knee bones connected to the leg bone and whatnot? Well, it turns out that there are parts of your body that are connected to each other that didn’t make it into that catchy tune.
For instance, your mouth and your penis. They’re pretty much on opposite ends of the body, but it turns out they are more connected than you would suspect.
In a study published in the online compendium Journal of Sex and Medicine, researchers revealed that a link had been found between poor dental hygiene and erectile dysfunction.
Scientists studied rats with periodontitis, which is a severe inflammation of the gums. This gum disease leads to increased inflammation within the body, which can lead to various health conditions, such as heart disease. Heart disease can lead to complications with blood flow, which can lead to, you guessed it, erectile dysfunction.
Furthermore, it was found that periodontitis lead to decreased levels of the enzyme eNOS in the rats. This enzyme is responsible for producing nitric acid, which helps to regulate blood flow. If eNOS decreases, blood flow slows, and erections become difficult.
While the lead researcher on the study stressed that these findings are so far only conclusive in rats, the team intends to follow up the study with an investigation into the effect of periodontitis on the erectile ability of human men.
So if you’re looking to protect your erection, make sure to keep your chompers looking nice. Brush twice every day, floss, practice good dental hygiene, and your erection will thank you.