6/11/2026
As more people prioritize their overall wellness, daily habits like exercise, sleep, hydration, and nutrition have become a bigger part of the conversation around long-term health. But one essential part of the whole-body health equation is still widely overlooked: oral health.
Brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice a day is one of those routines most of us know by heart. But oral care is more than just keeping your smile healthy. Increased research, clinical data, and consumer insights show that maintaining a consistent oral care routine can play an important role in supporting your overall health and wellness.
A new survey commissioned by Crest and Oral-B, in collaboration with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), found that while most (76%) Americans are motivated to care for their oral health, far fewer connect oral care to long term health and wellbeing.
Nearly half of Americans (44%) have never heard of the connection between oral health and cardiovascular disease. Awareness is even lower for other conditions:
- Diabetes (55%)
- Pregnancy complications (67%)
- Respiratory disease (68%)
- Alzheimer’s (77%)
Crest and Oral-B are working to help Americans better understand the connection between oral health and overall health — and the simple daily habits that can support better health outcomes.
For decades, Crest and Oral-B have supported oral health through science-backed innovation, clinical research, and products tested and trusted by dental professionals and families alike. As leading dentist-recommended brands and household names, Crest and Oral-B have long believed that oral health is foundational to overall health.
In partnership with AAFP, Crest and Oral-B have uncovered new insights that underscore a continued need to further educate on the power of a healthy smile:
- Only 12% of respondents ranked oral health among their top three health behaviors, far behind exercise (59%) and healthy eating (52%).
- Some of the biggest disruptors to oral care routines are: tiredness (41%), being sick (40%), routine changes (39%), being busy (36%), and stress (29%).
- When life gets busy, oral care is usually the first healthy habit to go. Nearly 3 in 4 Americans say holidays or big events have led them to skip or scale back oral care.
The good news is that meaningful prevention doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple routine, focused on brushing twice a day for two minutes with a stannous fluoride toothpaste that provides 24-hour antibacterial protection like Crest Pro-Health and using a dentist-inspired round head like the Oral-B iO Series, can help remove more plaque and improve gum health, supporting not just a healthier smile, but overall wellbeing. In fact, the Oral-B iO Series electric toothbrush with its oscillating-rotating brush head and Crest Pro-Health toothpaste together deliver 10x healthier gums* than brushing with a regular toothpaste on a manual toothbrush.
Building greater awareness between oral health and whole body health won’t happen overnight. It will take collaboration across consumers, dental professionals, healthcare experts, and trusted brands to help make oral health a more visible part of the broader wellness conversation. That’s why organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) are helping bring greater attention to the connection between oral health and overall health, encouraging more integrated conversations between patients, physicians, and dental professionals. Together, these efforts can help make oral care education a more consistent part of how people think about and manage their health.
After all, whole body health may start with something far simpler than most people realize: taking care of your mouth.
