Health Alert: Gum Disease... Don't Ignore

Gum Disease… Don’t Ignore!

Do you know that Gum Disease is linked to Heart Disease, Stroke, Pneumonia, Diabetes and Cancer?

An Overview of Gum Disease
Gum Disease or Periodontitis is an inflammation of the gums that destroy bones and other tissues that support the teeth. The disease develops when a sticky film of bacteria called plaque builds up on the teeth. Plaque constantly forms on the teeth but with proper cleaning most plaque can be removed before the gums are damaged.
The early stage of gum disease is known as Gingivitis characterized by red, swollen gums that bleed. If ignored gums can separate from the teeth and deep spaces called pockets can form where bacteria and their toxic wastes can further inflame the gums. If left untreated, the inflammation can destroy the bones that support the teeth and eventually the teeth fall out.

Gum Disease and Heart Disease, Stroke, Pneumonia, Diabetes, Cancer
Researchers have found that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease as those without gum disease.
Evidence indicates that bacteria in the mouth which cause gum disease can affect the heart when they enter the blood stream, attaching to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries (heart blood cells) and contributing to clot formation that can obstruct normal blood flow restricting the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to function properly. This may lead to heart attacks.

A study that looked at the causal relationship of oral infection as a risk factor for stroke, people diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular ischemia were found more like to have oral infection compared to those in the control group. Evidence kept coming associating periodontal disease with increased risk of forming atherosclerotic plaques which are responsible for Myocardial Infraction and schemic stroke. According to Journal of Periodontology this relationship could be due to elevated C-Reactive Protein levels in patients with chronic periodontal disease.

Scientists have found out that bacteria that grow in the oral cavity can be aspirated into the lungs to cause respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. This discovery leads researchers to believe that these respiratory bacteria can travel from the oral cavity into the lungs to cause infection.

Diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease which in turn can increase blood sugar and diabetic complications. People with diabetes are more likely to have gum disease than people without diabetes because diabetics are susceptible to contracting infections. Studies reported in the 1997 Journal of Periodontology involving 113 people with both gum disease and diabetes showed that when periodontal infection is controlled there was marked improvement in diabetes. Now, it is often considered Periodontal disease is the sixth complication of Diabetes.
John Hopkins Health Alerts
American Academy of Periodontology

Gum Disease both in smokers and non-smokers maybe a warning sign of an increased of Cancer.
Imperial College London researchers found that gum disease was linked to a higher chance of lung, kidney, pancreatic and blood cancers. The majority of Britons are said to suffer from gum disease caused by persistent bacterial infection and is more common in people who smoke. But latest research also suggests that even those who never smoke, the presence of gum disease means higher risk of cancer.
BBC News