Gum disease

Gum Disease – new evidence suggests link with heart and respiratory illness.

Patientsstill ask us if it is a sign of good health when their gums bleed asthey brush their teeth. Bleeding, red or inflamed gums are anindication that there is a problem and often is the first sign of gumdisease.

Gum disease or periodontitis causes permanent damage not only to gumtissue, but also the bone surrounding the teeth. This is why gumdisease can often lead to teeth becoming mobile and potentially fallingout. In fact more people lose teeth through gum disease than toothdecay. The infection causes healthy gum tissue to shrink away fromteeth and deep pockets can develop around and below the teeth causingfurther infection to spread to the bone. The resultant damage leads tothe loss of the bony and soft tissue support that a tooth needs toremain healthy and firmly attached. The loss of a tooth which mayunexpectedly fall out through little or no trauma, teeth becomingmobile or exposed are classic signs of gum disease. Unfortunately gumdisease in its early stages can be difficult to spot and may only bediagnosed during a regular examination with your dentist or dentalhygienist who will regularly monitor the appearance and condition ofyour gums and measure the depth of any pockets around the marginbetween your teeth and the gum.

Good oral health and regular examinations and maintenance by your dentist and dental hygienist will help to prevent gum disease.

New medical evidence suggests that a person suffering from gum diseasemay be more at risk of cardiovascular disease and have twice the riskof suffering a heart attack. Research is currently underway to try toestablish the link between the two, but it looks as though it ispossible that periodontal bacteria enters the blood stream throughinflamed gums and causes small blood clots that contribute to cloggedarteries. Some scientists also believe the inflammation caused byperiodontal disease contributes to the build up of fatty depositsinside the heart arteries.

Further evidence points to periodontal disease as a risk to pregnantwomen. Research has shown that a woman with periodontal disease is upto seven times more likely to have a baby born small or too early. Moreresearch is needed to fully understand the link between gum disease andlow birth weight, but it is clear that infections of any nature arepotentially serious for pregnant women the avoidance of gum diseaseboth before and during pregnancy is the best advice we can give.

Furthermore, some patients suffering from gum disease may be placingthemselves at risk of respiratory disease. Smokers and older patientswho have health problems are exposed to a greater risk of diseases suchas pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema and pulmonary disease. There is agrowing indication that patients with periodontal disease may also beat greater risk of respiratory disease.

What are the risk factors of gum disease?
Three out of four adults will suffer from gum disease and 70% of all adult tooth loss will be caused by gum disease.

Some people inherit a natural tendency to suffer from gum disease andsystemic illness including high blood pressure and HIV increase therisk of gum disease due to the reduced ability of the body to fight theirritants that cause gum disease.

For most us the type of foods we eat, what we drink and whether wesmoke have a huge impact on the health of our teeth and gums. Bacteriathrives in the mouth of the smoker – the temperature of the mouth isincreased by the smoke which also dries the saliva from the mouth,leaving the gums exposed to bacteria which can lead to gum disease.Smoking is thought to contribute to half the cases of periodontaldisease among adults in the UK and smokers are four times more likelyto suffer from gum disease. Consuming carbonated drinks and eatingunhealthy snacks between meals can also contribute to an increased riskin gum disease.

Often the condition is completely preventable and in many casestreatable if the patient follows a basic oral hygiene regime ofbrushing, rinsing and flossing. Lack of this basic function is a majorcontributor to the disease.