What effect does the health of my gums have on my overall health?
           
It has a profoundly powerful effect.  The mouth is sometimes called “the gateway to the body,” and anyone can see that this is undeniable.  If we ingest any powerful toxin through the mouth, we are bound to suffer some ill effects.  Unfortunately, millions of people ingest very damaging toxins into their systems each day, completely by accident, with no awareness that it’s happening.  This is what occurs when gum disease is present in the mouth.  Gum disease is characterized by the presence of bacteria, other toxins, chemical agents that spread inflammation throughout the body, and occasionally small blood clots.  The influx into the system of these dangerous pathogens and substances can harm the body in numerous ways, and is now believed by many physicians and dentists to be a major contributor to serious illness, as well as lesser conditions.
 
 
What Kinds of Problems Can Gum Disease Cause In the Rest of My Body?
 
It can cause a surprisingly wide variety of significant problems, and contributes to some of our society’s most common causes of death.  There are two primary types of gum disease, gingivitis, and its more advanced form, periodontitis, and each can cause problems throughout the entire system.  As a rule, the more advanced cases of gum disease cause the most serious problems.  Bacteria, toxins, and inflammatory carriers can travel to virtually any of the internal organs, via the bloodstream.  These elements can also be carried throughout the body when they are inhaled into the lungs, within microscopic droplets of water, or when they enter the saliva.  The most common problems that are closely linked to gum disease are coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and some forms of cancer.
 
 
How Common Is Periodontal Disease?
 
Unfortunately, it’s much more common than most people realize, because it often has no noticeable symptoms.  Also, some of its most notable symptoms, such as gums that bleed during brushing, or swollen gums, are dismissed by most people as trivial, or even normal.  At our clinic, though, we have strict policy of “Zero Tolerance for Bleeding Gums.”  Imagine this: What would you do if your hands started to bleed any time you touched a slightly rough surface?  If you do have bleeding gums, or any of the more subtle signs of periodontal disease, you are not alone.  Approximately 80% of all people have mild to moderate gum disease.  About 30% of all people have moderate to severe gum disease.  Among people over 60, approximately 90% have gum disease.
 

Why Hasn’t My Dentist Mentioned the Oral Systemic Approach?
 
The main reason is that it’s a relatively new approach.  Research on it is only about 10 years old, and clinical treatment of gum disease, aimed at helping to prevent, control, and reverse serious diseases, is an even younger endeavor.  This clinic was one of the first in America to adopt the approach.  In addition, some dentists are still not convinced that gum disease is a cause of various health problems, but is just a side-effect of these problems, although the body of scientific evidence on the subject tends to contradict this perspective.  Also, dentists, like other specialists, generally tend to stick to their own specialty, and don’t become involved with systemic illnesses.  This is understandable, but even so, it’s an outdated approach.  Some of the best medical care in America these days is being done by integrative physicians, who treat the whole body, instead of just isolated parts of it, and some of the best dental work in America these days is being done by integrative dentists, who endorse the oral systemic approach.  There is even a movement to have doctors and dentists work together more closely, and to help one another solve the problems that effect the whole system. 
  
 
How Can Something Like Gum Disease Effect My Heart?
 
One of the  main culprits is bacteria, which is abundantly present in periodontitis.  Oral bacteria can create proteins that are found in artery walls and in the bloodstream, causing blood to clot more easily.  They can also damage arterial walls.  Furthermore, infection in the mouth can cause it’s own small blood clots, which can enter the bloodstream.  Also, periodontal disease can sometimes cause thickening in the main artery that sends blood to the head, the carotid artery.  Sometimes a combination of these risk factors can occur, and increase vulnerability to heart disease and stroke, especially when other risk factors are present.

 
How Is It Involved With Cancer?
 
The inflammation and toxicity in periodontitis can influence the formation or the exacerbation of oral cancers, due to its proximity to the throat, larynx and tongue.  Unfortunately, oral cancers are the sixth leading cause of cancer death.  There is also a very close association between periodontal disease and pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality.  Approximately 63% of all people with pancreatic cancer also have periodontal disease.  One theory about this link is that the pancreas is harmed by carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines, which are created by oral bacteria.  Another cancer with a close association is lung cancer, probably because the harmful pathogens from periodontal disease can be directly inhaled into the lungs.  Also, it is now widely believed that most cases of cancer, as well as most cases of cardiovascular disease, are promoted by inflammation, and periodontitis is the most common inflammatory disease.

 
What Other Problems Are Associated With Periodontitis?
 
One of the most distressing problems is pre-term birth, which is the primary cause of birth defects, including loss of vision or hearing, developmental delay, and cerebral palsy.  Pregnant women with periodontitis are approximately 7-8 times more likely to experience a pre-term birth.  Gum disease is also closely associated with diabetes.  These two problems can be difficult to resolve, because both diabetes and pregnancy are known to contribute to gum disease.  Therefore, these problems can become self-reinforcing.  Periodontal disease is also linked to obesity, lung infection (especially pneumonia), osteoporosis, premature wrinkling, and sometimes sexual dysfunction.  Most of these problems, like almost all health problems, have numerous contributory factors, but their links to periodontal disease are just as strong as the links to other primary risk factors, including smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, and high cholesterol.

 
What Can I Do About It?
 
Periodontal disease tends to respond well to treatment, although it is a chronic condition that generally requires lifelong attention.  Part of the treatment consists of obvious factors, such as brushing and flossing, but a surprising number of people who do brush and floss don’t do it in a manner that prevents gum disease.  If they did, gum disease would not be so common, since almost everyone brushes their teeth.  Control of periodontal disease also involves a comprehensive program consisting of a good diet, supplementation with specific concentrated nutrients, other elements of oral self-care, and professional care.  Unfortunately, not all professional care achieves the proper results.  Many dentists just don’t take periodontal disease as seriously as they should, and are not well versed in the latest research on its consequences or treatments.  To understand your best options, and to make a definitive diagnosis, you should consider consulting our clinic, or other clinics that are aggressive about eliminating periodontal disease, and achieving optimal oral health.