Systemic Links to Periodontal Disease
Recent research has demonstrated a multitude of links between periodontal disease and systemic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, ulcers, and pre-term births. Treatment of oral infections is a critical component in maintaining your overall health.
Individuals suffering from diabetes, especially uncontrolled diabetics, have a higher risk of developing bacterial infections of the mouth. These infections may impair your ability to process insulin, resulting in greater difficulty controlling your diabetes. Periodontal diseases will be more severe than those of a non-diabetic and treatment more difficult. However, Dr. Bloch routinely helps well-controlled diabetics successfully undergo periodontal therapy and regain oral health.
Keeping your gums healthy can lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes. When gums are inflamed and infected, bacteria from the mouth will enter the bloodstream. This will cause an increase in clots and fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Treatment of periodontal disease will help you to avoid these life-threatening diseases.
When you have periodontal disease, the bacteria in your mouth are the same as those which cause gastric ulcers. If these bacteria are uncontrolled, they will be continually travelling to the stomach, causing reinfection and new ulcers.
Women with periodontal disease are six to eight times more likely to have pre-term delivery of low birth weight babies. The chronic infection in your mouth leads to a release of inflammatory cells which are linked to premature delivery.
Successful treatment of periodontal disease has been demonstrated to:
- Significantly reduce blood sugar levels "Hba1c" to improve diabetes control.
- Reduce premature deliveries by a factor of six to eight.
- Significantly reduce "C Reactive Protein", a key marker of inflammation, to healthy levels.
- Reduce medical expenses due to stroke, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other systemic conditions.
Steps to prevent periodontal disease and improve your resistance to systemic illnesses include daily brushing and flossing to remove plaque from your teeth and gums, regular dental visits for professional cleaning, and regular periodontal evaluations. Your health professional should always be told of your medical history and the current status of any condition.