Gum Care Essential to Dental Health

By Sam E. Ruvinov, D.D.S.

According to the National Institute of Dental Research, nearly half of adult Americans have periodontal (gum) disease.  Very often, patients are now aware of having periodontal problems.  First symptoms, at the early state of the disease, could be sensitive gums and blood on your tooth brush.  The cause of periodontal disease is dental plaque that consists of billions of bacteria and their toxins.  Micro-organisms that are found in all stages of periodontal disease are called Porphyromonas gigivalis.

Recent studies have suggested a link between periodontal disease and heart problems.  A bacterial strain commonly found in dental plaque was infused in the blood of rabbits by University of Minnesota researchers, who found the microbe quickly induced the same type of clotting that often leads to heart attacks.

The bacteria infusion also was associated with increased blood pressure and faster heart rate. “The more bacteria was used, the greater effects we saw.” said Mark Herzberg, a professor of preventive sciences, who presented the study results.  Getting into the blood stream of a person with chronic dental infection would be easy for bacteria.  Just eating the meal would be sufficient to work bacteria into your blood stream.

A preliminary study at the State University of New York at Buffalo linked bacteria common to gum disease to atherosclerotic deposits in coronary arteries.

As part of the VA Normative Aging Study, Dr. Raul Garcia of the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic followed 1,100 men over a 25 year period.  They were all basically healthy at the outset, but they all varying levels of gum disease.  And over the course of the study, the men with diseased gums suffered nearly twice the heart attack rate of their disease free counterparts – and three times the stroke rate.

The bottom line, as Garcia puts it half jokingly, “floss or die”.

Another researcher Jean Wactawski-Wanda, an epidemiologist at the State University of New York at Buffalo, presented research showing a link between osteoporosis and dental problems.  Her analysis of nearly 2,600 postmenopausal women found a strong association between having weak bones and tooth and gum disease.

Although it may seem improbable, infection in the gums of a pregnant woman may lead to a more than sevenfold increase in her risk of delivering a premature baby of low birth weight, according to findings published in the Journal of Periodontology.  The study suggests that untreated periodontal disease may account for a large share of premature births for which no other explanation can be found.  The research team of periodontists, obstetrician-gynecologists and epidemiologists, emphasized that their findings, based in a detailed analysis of 124 births, rather than directly attacking the fetus, the bacteria appeared to retard fetal growth by releasing toxins into the woman’s blood stream, that reach the placenta and interfere with fetal development.  In addition, the infection stimulates the woman’s body to produce inflammatory chemicals, similar to those used to induce an abortion that can cause the cervix to dilate and set off uterine contractions.

It is much easier to prevent periodontal disease than cure it.  Regular dental visits (twice a year) are highly recommended.  Periodontal disease can often be prevented by nightly flossing and using correct brushing techniques. If left untreated for years, periodontal infection gradually erodes the jaw bones and causes teeth to loosen and fall out.  Don’t postpone your next dental visit.