Healthy teeth, tooth loss, cavities and damaged teeth can give doctors and scientists information about other parts of our body. 

That's what recent research out of Arizona State University confirmed in a study focusing on the Tsimane people, wherein evolutionary anthropologists and bioarchaeologists discovered that poor oral health is associated with higher levels of inflammation, smaller brain volumes (dementia) and aortic valve calcification (cardiovascular disease). 

But how does poor oral health affect our hearts and brains exactly? 

Evolutionary anthropologist Ben Trumble and colleagues believe it could happen several ways. For one, there could be bacteria entering the bloodstream causing the inflammation, which can lead to trouble chewing and poor nutrition.