BY GLEN PETERSON

As if bad breath wasn’t reason enough reason to take care of your gums, new research has found a link between gum disease and diabetes. The study from Columbia University—published in Diabetes Care—found that people with gum disease or gingivitis are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes within 20 years. “We accounted for all other known diabetes risk factors, such as age and obesity,” says head researcher Ryan Demmer, PhD, MPH. “Periodontal disease was still able to predict the future development of diabetes.” That’s serious stuff considering that 35 percent of adults have some form of gum disease.

The results are inconclusive as to why periodontal disease increases your risk of diabetes, but it may have something to do with inflammation leading to insulin resistance. More tests are being planned to see if treating gum disease will prevent future development of diabetes. In the meantime, it’s a good idea to book a trip to the dentist and brush up on proper tooth care.

And if that’s not enough of a motivator to take care of those pearly whites, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of dental procedures has risen at twice the rate of inflation. On average, most Americans spend more than $500 dollars annually at the dentist’s office—and if only five percent of you are flossing, you’ had better start saving your money for your next visit to an oral surgeon to fix that ticking time bomb in your mouth. By the time you’ve paid that off, you’ll be ready to take on medical bills for the diabetes you’ve been working on. Or you could just floss and take better care of your oral hygiene—unless you like that Austin Powers look, of course.

Looking for other ways to stay healthy? Pick up the July/August issue of Maximum Fitness—on sale newsstands June 1, 2010.