Participate in Your Oral & General Health

No one knows everything about gum disease and the way in which it affects your general health. Debate and research about the precise dynamics of this interrelationship will likely continue for a long time to come. It's not clear whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship or even whether the true culprit is bacteria or inflammation or a mechanism we don't yet understand. Fortunately, you don't have to know everything to know a good thing when you hear it.

For instance, it's good to know that when you take care of your oral health, you are making a positive contribution to your overall health and well-being. How can this be? Researchers have established links between gum disease and other ailments, and because periodontal disease can be prevented, treated, and in some cases, even reversed, you can participate actively in managing your oral health and therefore your general health.

Prevention (a good home care routine and regular dental visits) is your best strategy because gum disease has no symptoms in the earliest stages. It occurs when plaque (bacterial film) builds up. By the time you experience symptoms like discomfort, bleeding, and bad breath, you will already have damaged your gums and possibly even supporting ligaments and bone. With out intervention, you could experience bone and tooth loss.

Here are some links that have been demonstrated between oral health and overall health:

• Pulmonary infection: harmful bacteria from gum infections has been linked with pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema, & chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Osteoperosis: Women with osteoporosis may be at higher risk for gum disease & people with gum disease may be at a higher risk of underlying osteoprosis.
• Diabetes: People with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease which in turn can make it more difficult to control blood sugar.
• Heart Disease & Stroke: People with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer coronary artery disease as those without gum disease.
• Oral Cancer: An association has been found between serious periodontal disease & pre-cancerous lesions & oral tumors.
• Pregnancy: Periodontal disease during pregnancy has been linked with toxemia, pre-term delivery, & babies with lower birth weights.