New research found that people who regularly brush their teeth three times a day reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study also found that people who have dental disease or a lot of missing teeth have a higher risk of developing the blood sugar condition.

"Our study suggested that improved oral hygiene may be associated with a decreased risk of new-onset diabetes," said study author Dr. Yoonkyung Chang. She is a clinical assistant professor of neurology at Ewha Woman's University Mokdong Hospital, in South Korea.

Chang said the researchers don't know what the exact mechanism behind this connection is, but there are a number of possible ways that poor dental health might contribute to diabetes.

"Poor oral hygiene may be related to the chronic inflammatory process," she said. Inflammation affects oral health and can lead to gum disease that creates space in the gum where bacteria can collect. That bacteria may then travel into the body's circulation and trigger immune system responses, which might impair blood sugar control.

But it's difficult to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between dental health and diabetes because many factors involved in poor oral health are also linked to type 2 diabetes.