Plenty of myths attempt to explain success, but one is tried and true: There’s a direct correlation between health and success. In one University of Georgia study, researchers talked to 1,300 executives (who earned $100,000 or more annually), and 75% of them agreed that good physical fitness is “critical for career success at an executive level.”

Another critical component to your health? Your teeth and gums.

If that sounds a little odd, keep in mind that it’s a fact: Some of the leading causes of death in America, like obesity and heart disease, all have links to gum disease or periodontitis. If you have a serious gum disease, you’re 40% more likely to have a chronic condition on top of it. In the past few decades, we’ve become very interested in how our mouths affect the health of our entire bodies, or the mouth-body connection.

How does that work? Well, when bacteria build on our teeth, our gums become infected and inflamed. That inflammation puts demands on the immune system until the infection is controlled. When we don’t get rid of the inflammation, chemicals start to eat our gums and bone structure, which leads to severe gum disease, or periodontitis.

We can explain the mouth-body connection by talking about one of the strongest mouth-body connections we know of: diabetes and periodontitis. Inflammation weakens the body’s ability to control blood sugar, and high blood sugar provides ideal conditions for infection; however, diabetic patients can use this relationship to their advantage: By putting one condition under control, it helps them manage the other.

Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to chronic disease. Make sure to brush regularly! And if you need affordable dental insurance, you can become an AFEUSA member and get discounted health plans with the Careington Pass Program, where enrollment is free and there’s no waiting periods, no claim forms, and no deductibles — applicable to dental, vision, and hearing networks nationwide!