The Connection Between Oral Health & Your General Health 1/8/09

You may have read in recent months about the evidence that our medical science researchers are uncovering. The evidence is becoming clearer and clearer that active oral disease has a basic connection to effects seen in general health. One of the areas the researchers have been able to establish clear connection is chronic gum disease and its linkage to cardio-vascular disease. This connection should be a great concern for all adults who are reading this article. The concern is because 80% or more of the general adult public have some level of active low grade gum inflammation in their bodies. This pervasive chronic low grade inflammation creates a response from our bodies’ immune system. When we have a low grade inflammation anywhere in our bodies our liver is stimulated to release a certain reactive protein (c-reactive). The action of this C - reactive protein is to act upon plaques on the walls of our arteries. The build up of plaque in our arteries is a life style life long occurrence, which helps to lead to ultimate cardio-vascular accidents. Most common cardio-vascular accidents are stroke and heart attacks. This protein reaction with the arterial plaque is to cause loosen or busting of the plaque, which creates floaters (emboli) in the blood stream. If the floaters are large enough to lodge in one of the small arteries of our brain it is called a stroke and if it lodges in one of the arteries of the heart it is called a heart attack.
It is always important to look at cause and effect when we want to take action to create a different effect or outcome. If we did not have the low grade chronic inflammation in our gums our liver would not be stimulated to release the C-reactive protein and the protein would not be creating floaters in our blood stream. The above information can become too entailed, yet the moral of the story is that every adult should take action to be certain that they are not in the 80% of persons who have an ongoing low grade gum inflammation. If we create a healthy oral condition we lessen the chances of these unique cardio vascular accident connections from occurring.
Consult with your dental professional for an evaluation of your current dental health condition. Allow your dental team to develop a custom game plan for your dental wellness.