Gum Disease Can Harm Much More Than Your Teeth
Proper oral hygiene may do a lot more than keep your teeth bright and cavity-free - it could be a boon to your overall health.
A growing body of research suggests that periodontal disease may exacerbate a variety of health problems as wide-ranging as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease - even premature births, experts say.
For instance, several promising studies have found that blood-sugar levels in diabetics with periodontal disease were reduced to normal when the patients’ gum disease was treated. Other research revealed that the incidence of respiratory diseases among nursing-home residents was cut when they were treated for gum disease, said Dr. Robert Genco, distinguished professor of oral biology at the School of Dental Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
“All of these are pilot studies, and whether (the periodontal disease) is causal, we cannot say, but we can’t ignore these associations,” Genco said. “Further, from a practical standpoint, there is no harm in treating periodontal disease in these patients.”
Gum disease is very common, Genco explained. Approximately 80 percent of Americans have some form of the condition, which is a bacterial infection of the gums surrounding the teeth.
Gingivitis is the mildest and most common form of gum disease, causing inflammation of the tissues around the teeth. More serious is periodontitis, when the inflammation affects the connective tissue supporting the teeth and, eventually, the bone. An estimated 20 percent of Americans have periodontitis, making it the primary cause of tooth loss in adults.
Because periodontal disease is so common, Genco said, treating the condition successfully could have a significant impact on public health, even if it’s associated with only a small portion of other ailments.
One reason gum disease could contribute to other ailments, researchers say, may be that oral bacteria get into the bloodstream and cause inflammation of other body tissues. Another possibility is that an oral infection could trigger inflammatory responses from the immune system, adversely affecting the rest of the body.
Dr. Steven Offenbacher, distinguished professor at the Department of Periodontics at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, is studying the link between periodontal disease and preterm birth, and thinks inflammation could play an important part in the connection.
“Organisms are capable of invading the bloodstream and challenging the fetus by inflammation of the fetal and placenta unit, thus promoting premature birth,” he said.
Source: cbc.ca
Good stuff to know!
It’s been long known that there are associations found between periodontal disease and diabetes, between periodontal disease and valvular disease (a condition that affects heart valve), between periodontal disease and smoking, etc. Research studies are continuous to point at evidence for the link between gum disease and the rest of the body health.
So brush up your teeth and keep them clean to avoid gum disease. Brushing alone is not sufficient because toothbrushes can only reach the front and back surfaces of the teeth and cannot brush off the plaque trapped “between” the teeth. As such, it’s also important to floss the teeth, which cleans the surfaces between the teeth very well. Currently, it’s recommmended to brush at least 2x per day (one in the morning and one before bedtime) and floss 1x per day before bedtime. Of course, brushing and flossing are USELESS if you don’t know how to use them properly! Talk to your dental professionals and ask for a demonstration! It’s amazing that a huge percentage of population uses wrong technique to maintain their oral hygiene. Just ask your dentist or dental hygienist. It doesn’t hurt to ask to confirm your technique!!!
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menic's said,
February 25, 2008
i think that its good that u let us know , but i still have not gotten any kind of info on what can i do to lessen the bleeding gums. i hate it the most when i kiss an the other tastes blood