Oral-B: Brushing up on overall health

In this year’s series of partner interviews for the EFP newsletter, we are looking at the link between lifestyle, nutrition, oral-health synergies and systemic health, which is now hardly disputed. From diabetes to cardiovascular problems, even dementia, what goes on in the mouth does matter for the rest of the body. So, how are the EFP and its partners dealing with this?

In this interview we talk to Beth Jordan, MS, a dental hygienist working for Oral-B, at Procter and Gamble, in Global Professional and Scientific Relations.

Prevention is better than cure, they say, and if there is one thing Oral B (P&G) is driven by it is prevention and oral health. This is vital, as increased evidence emerges about oral and bodily health.

Beth Jordan explains: “It's undeniable, the link between oral health and systemic health, and it’s not causal, but it is inflammation-based. Inflammation in your mouth is inflammation in your body.”

She warms to her theme. “And the markers of inflammation are shared in all the bloodstream, so, it is all connected. Now more than ever, prevention must come to the forefront due to the mounting evidence, because most consumers think that dental plaque is just leftover lunch, and they don't realise it's bacteria-based.”

As we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch, and if left untreated, or undertreated, that sticky yellowy bacterial film starts to do its bacterial worst.

The problem is that the average consumer doesn’t know very much about oral healthcare. Beth is proud of the work that Oral-B is doing in diving into educating the public. So, how does it do that?

Role of research

She explains: “Consumer research. We literally go into people's homes and spend countless hours interviewing them, watching their home routines and how they shop. We are learning from them to understand how they think of oral health in the context of life and to understand the barriers. From a clinician's standpoint, you’re recommending brushing, flossing, interdental cleaning, but unless the patient can look in there and see what's going on, it's hard to imagine the damage that's being caused by this undisturbed biofilm. Patients don't know how to access it; they don't know the importance of accessing it.”

It isn’t that consumers aren’t capable, it is just that they don’t understand one toothbrush or toothpaste from another, and or where to clean and why. Why would they? 

Beth Jordan isn’t judgemental, just practical.

“Dental professionals suggest using a rechargeable electric toothbrush because it outperforms a manual toothbrush, but consumers think it's novelty, or laziness, but the professional can see the difference. Patients don't understand that it can reduce the inflammatory burden on the body. Same thing with a stannous fluoride toothpaste. Most consumers, and even some dental professionals, still don't realise that there's a difference in the types of fluorides in toothpaste, and the benefits beyond cavity protection.”

To be fair, Beth does point out that manual toothbrushes can be an effective way of cleaning your teeth, but it is more complicated to achieve the same results that you see with an electric one.

The other barrier to getting consumers to understand that oral health can severely impact systemic health—from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, even dementia—is the perception of why brushing and flossing is important.

“They think, oh, well, there comes a certain point where if I don't brush long enough, I might get a cavity. Cavities are their main concern, but not typically gum health, and gum health is where the oral-systemic connection is really the strongest,” she explains.

She adds: “bleeding gums are NOT normal. If you had a cut on your hand and it was bleeding, you would treat it with an antibacterial and you would make sure it was staying clean and not getting reinfected, so it can heal. Gums are like skin in your mouth and provide a barrier against bacteria and their toxins.”

There are other factors that can affect systemic health—such as diet, exercise, alcohol and smoking, and even sleep apnoea—but oral health is certainly well up there.

Supporting education

Oral-B has been connecting systemic and oral health for around 20 years when it published a special issue in Scientific American. It is stilleducating, as she explains.

“We have supported oral-health education for different medical specialties on Medscape and Wiley for medical professionals to understand the relationship between oral health and diabetes, Alzheimer's, pregnancy, and cardiovascular health. We also support dental professionals in their mission to educate their patients.”

All very impressive, but how to educate the public? Just this summer (2026), Oral-B published a new survey along with the American Academy of Family Physicians that revealed 76% of Americans say they care about their oral health, but when polled, only 3% associate oral health with whole-body health!

Needless to say, Oral-B is strengthening its educational campaign to right this, as it is doing in places such as the US, the UK, Italy, France, and Germany.

Beth is passionate about improving oral health and how simple it really is. “Just swapping to antimicrobial toothpaste has demonstrated benefits to gingival health such as 50% less bleeding, and that would certainly be noticeable to the consumer.”

Good oral health also makes you more likely to smile, to avoid halitosis, to feel more confident, and to have a healthier body.

Twenty years ago, in that Scientific American publication, Oral-B had this little ditty: “The mouth speaks for the body, we speak for the mouth!” Says it all!