Episode 455: MS and Your Oral Health with Dr. Ann Spolarich

When we talk about managing Multiple Sclerosis, our conversations naturally focus on things like disease-modifying therapies, mobility, MRI scans, and symptom management. But in this week's episode, we're shining a light on a critical aspect of MS wellness that doesn't get nearly enough attention: your oral health. Living with MS can introduce a whole host of unexpected challenges to maintaining a healthy mouth. And beyond preventing tooth decay and gum disease, emerging research suggests that chronic oral inflammation, like periodontal disease, can trigger systemic inflammation throughout the body. Dr. Ann Spolarich joins us to break down the science, explain the risks, and offer practical suggestions for maintaining oral health for people living with MS and their care partners. We're also sharing study results that revealed 1,000 differences between immune cells in men and women. (And we're explaining why that's important) If you're a parent or caregiver for a child or teen with MS, we'll tell you everything you need to know about the FDA approval of Ocrevus for treating pediatric MS. We're sharing the details of an AI partnership designed to shorten the time to an MS diagnosis and track progression in real time. We're sharing the details of another AI partnership designed to test a pill that will ease MS-related depression and fatigue. And we'll tell you about a way that you can participate in MS research from the comfort and convenience of your own home. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: The connection between your oral health and MS  :22 Study reveals 1,000 differences between men's and women's immune cells    1:30 FDA approves Ocrevus for children over the age of 10 with relapsing remitting MS  3:28 An AI partnership designed to shorten the time to an MS diagnosis and track progression in real time  5:43 An AI partnership to test a pill that will ease MS-related depression and fatigue  9:24 An opportunity to participate in MS research from the comfort and convenience of your own home  13:16 Dr. Ann Spolarich discusses the connection between your oral health and MS  13:16 Share this episode  29:45 Next week  30:05 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/455 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: The Impact of Sex on the Immune System Explored at the Single-Cell Level https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(26)00153-9 ONLINE SURVEY: Bladder-Related Fall Risk in People with MS https://www.nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/get-involved/participate-in-research-studies/rs-bladder-fall-risk JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 455 Guest: Dr. Ann Spolarich Privacy Policy