Doctors and researchers have recently started to look at what dentists have been examining for years — your gums. They’re finding a relationship between the health of your gums and chronic disease.
Did You Know…
- Per a study in Finland, subjects with gum disease were 30% more likely to have a heart attack compared to subjects without oral infections.
- Per a six-year study of 44,119 men, those with tooth loss and gum disease were 70% more likely to have coronary artery disease.
- Another study demonstrated patients infected with periodontal bacteria had the highest levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood. CRP is an inflammatory marker and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Another study confirmed periodontal bacteria reaches the human brain suggesting an inflammatory role in Alzheimer’s disease. Additional studies link chronic inflammation with memory loss.
- Pregnant women with moderate to severe periodontal disease are at greater risk of spontaneous pre-term birth.
What is Periodontal (Gum) Disease?
Below are the key things to know about gum disease:
- Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is one of the most common infections in humans. Fifty percent of the American population has gum disease.
- It’s a chronic inflammatory disease that inflames your gums.
- It starts with bacteria (called plaque) that develops on the surface of the tooth root (gum line) and causes inflammation (bleeding gums).
- Studies show that chronic systemic inflammation, also called persistent, low-grade inflammation, is associated with chronic disease.
- Periodontitis is an advanced gum disease that destroys bone, resulting in tooth loss.
Your body is made up of a rich network of blood vessels which move blood and immune cells, bacteria, and pro- and anti-inflammatory proteins through your entire body. So bacteria in your mouth can move to other organs. Continue reading “KRON 4 | The Link Between Gum Disease, Heart Attacks, and Alzheimer’s”