subject: Gum Disease Can Make You More Sick [print this page] Long awaiting a kidney transplant, a patient who was a 26 year old man from Long Beach, California expected a series of blood tests and numerous physical exams before he checked into the hospital last July. What he needed was to see the dentist leaving him confused. When it comes to his bad gums, he did not know they mattered. They said he had to be bacteria free before my surgery.
There is more to gum disease as doctors and dentists suspect. When it comes to gum disease, if the condition has persisted for a long time without being treated it could contribute to Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke, diabetes, pregnancy complications, and even some types of cancers based from research that has been compiled over the last five years. The risks when it comes to surgery including transplantation and cardiac valve replacement are heightened when there are oral infections.
The mouth for years was not considered to be a part of the body according to a periodontist at Boston University. But recently, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that treating severe gum disease can improve the function of blood vessel walls, consequently improving heart health. Considering periodontal bacteria bugs, you will find them in the placentas of pregnant women with high blood pressure and the arteries of people with heart disease.
When it comes to the direct connection of gum disease with other illnesses, in the evolution of this research it is too soon to say. In this case, the compelling evidence is uniting the dental and medical professionals who were once simple acquaintances. Changes are also able to reach the dental insurance industry. There are several health insurance companies offering medical and dental insurance that are also offering low cost enhanced dental benefits for patients who are high risk and who might experience broader health benefits by having a cleaner mouth.
When the gums are inflamed, this is usually because the bacteria in plaque, the sticky film that forms on teeth, persists for a long time. If you have an inflammation, it means that your body is fighting back. What unchecked inflammations can lead to are more problems. What most Americans have is an inflammation of the superficial structure of the gum called gingivitis which can lead to gum disease.
Keeping gum disease at bay by limiting the extent of gingivitis are good brushing, flossing, and favorable genetics although 30 to 40 percent of American adults are still affected by this condition of persistent inflammation. In this case, 10 percent of the people encounter damages to the ligaments, structure, and bone that supports the teeth which are advanced cases already. Aside from rarely being uncomfortable, only a few symptoms other than bleeding exist with gum disease. You know when it is too late when the gums begin to hurt. The teeth and gums hurt because of the dual forces of infection and inflammation in the mouth that reach the bloodstream traveling to other parts of the body.
One of the most well established links between gum disease and secondary infection, for example, is among people with mistral valve heart defects. Valve patients have long been warned by doctors to take antibiotics before teeth cleanings as this prevents bacterial disruption in the mouth from reaching the bloodstream. Gum disease damages the body through inflammation. When bacteria in plaque release toxins, the immune system produces chemicals called cytokines. What cytokines do is increase inflammations that cause damage to tissues throughout the body. What can be considered as a culprit in the development of many illnesses like heart disease and cancer is inflammation.
