A Link between Oral Heath and Heart Attacks?
Can My Gum Disease affect my baby?

"A new study of fatty deposits lodged in the carotid arteries of stroke sufferers shows that 70% contain bacteria and 40% of that bacteria comes from the mouth."

"Diabetics with gum disease were three times more likely to have heart attacks than those without gum disease."

"Women with gum disease are seven to eight times more likely to give birth prematurely to low birth-weight babies."

(All of the above quotes were taken directly from an article in USA Today, April 14, 1998.)

And if THAT information were not enough to make you want to carry your dentist's cell number around with you wherever you go, there's more!

From USA Today, February 17, 1998, come these quotes:

"Bacteria in plaque are linked to lung infections in people with chronic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," and, "under the surface [of the gums in individuals with gum disease]… are pockets of infection that contain billions of bacteria. If this oozing mess was out where it could be seen, it would be a bone-deep sore the size of the palms of both hands."

Yeack. Can this really be true?

Medical and dental research will for years examine the link between oral health and general health conditions. However, if there is an ounce of truth in the suggestion that "bad gums" are related to unhealthy lungs, cardiovascular problems, or pre-term, low-weight babies, should any of us be surprised? After all, "gum disease" is by definition "bad health," isn't it?

Most of us in the dental profession have dedicated our careers to helping patients keep their natural teeth for a lifetime. As the benefits of fluoride became obvious in the 60's and 70's with a decreasing incidence of cavities in many areas of the country, dental disease "prevention" efforts shifted toward the science surrounding periodontal disease.

Since the early 1980's, our staff has agreed with National Institutes of Health data showing periodontal disease as a greater cause of tooth loss than dental decay (cavities). We describe unhealthy gums as being like a bad gasket around the tooth that fails to seal and protect the surrounding bone from noxious germs and rotting food particles. When your gums are not healthy, the bone level around your teeth retreats. Teeth then drift and loosen. Before teeth are actually lost, chronic bad breath occurs.

Since the middle 80's, periodontal health assessment has been part of every six-month "cleaning and checkup" for adult patients in our practice. In 1987, we began offering a little-known and then-controversial non-surgical periodontal therapy service which now has been embraced by the American Dental Association as the standard of care for early-to-moderate stage periodontal disease. Though seen by patients in many dental practices as expensive and time-consuming, non-surgical Periodontal Therapy gets gums healthy in our practice, period. Three-to-six month maintenance visits and a custom home-care regimen help assure that health objectives are met.

For nearly two decades our practice has addressed gum disease in our patients, because it is a major cause of tooth loss. Any link to general health, including lung, cardiovascular, or newborn baby issues, certainly gives us another compelling reason to diagnose and treat gum problems in our patients. If you want to enjoy your natural teeth for a long, healthy lifetime, visit your dentist and become involved in your oral health. We highly recommend you visit two other sites for additional information: