Dental Relationship to Total Health
Ways that periodontal health can affect general health:
- Respiratory Infection
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Pregnancy
- Osteopenia (loss of bone mass)
- Dementia/alzheimers
Respiratory Infections
- Inhaling bacteria from the mouth and throat can lead to pneumonia.
- Dental plaques buildup creates a dangerous source of bacteria that can be inhaled into the lungs.
Heart disease
- Individuals with adult periodontal disease may have an increased risk of a fatal heart attack.
- Periodontitis also increases chances of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
- Bacteria from the mouth may cause clotting problems in the cardiovascular system.
Stroke
- Individuals with adult periodontitis may have increased risk of stroke.
Diabetes
- Chronic periodontal disease can disrupt diabetic control.
- Diabetes can alter the pocket environment, contributing to bacterial growth.
- Smokers with diabetes increase their risk of tooth loss by 20 times.
- People with type II diabetes are three times as likely to develop pweriodontal disease than are non diabetics.
Pregnancy
- 50-70% of women will develop gingivitis during pregnancy. This condition is called 'pregnancy goingivitis.'
Osteopenia (Loss of Bone Mass)
- Reduction of bone mass is associated with gum disease and related tooth loss.
- Severity has been connected to tooth loss in post-menopausal women.
Dementia/Alzheimers
- The infection and inflammation of periodontal disease may be associated with cogfnitive decline and dementia.
The incidence of estrogen and progesterone levels during this time causes the gums to react differently to the bacteria in plaques. This reaction causes swelling, bleeding, redness or tenderness in the gum tissue.
Thank you to Zila Dental, the makers of Rotadent®, for this information. For a list of sources please go here.
