The Mouth-Body Connection

Recent research shows that an infection in your mouth, such as periodontal disease, can affect your overall health. Bacteria, and bacterial by-products, enter the blood stream during routine brushing, flossing and eating activities. Evidence indicates that periodontal disease can lead to an elevated risk of stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis, pre-term low birth weight infants, pneumonia, and can affect control of diabetes. Keep reading below to learn more about the Mouth-Body connection, or visit the American Academy of Periodontology website (www.perio.org) for more up-to-date information on how an infection in your mouth can affect your overall health.

Diabetes and Oral Health

Recent evidence indicates that there is a two-way relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes.             

Periodontal Diseases & Diabetes

First, studies show that diabetics are at a 3 times greater risk of having more severe periodontal disease, especially in poorly controlled diabetics. Chronic high blood sugar readings decrease your body’s ability to fight infection (such as periodontal disease) and result in more advanced bone loss around teeth.

Second, studies show that the presence of periodontal disease can reduce your body’s ability to utilize sugar (glucose) in your blood and result in poor blood sugar control.

Simply stated, periodontal disease can make your diabetes harder to control, and diabetes can make your periodontal disease more advanced and harder to treat if diabetes is not controlled.

The good news:

Research shows that periodontal treatment by itself can enhance your blood sugar control and thereby help keep your diabetes in check. Thus, allowing us to help save your teeth, may have the added benefit of preventing many of the long term consequences of diabetes including vision problems, nerve problems, kidney problems, and better wound healing.

Women and Periodontal Health

Throughout a woman’s life, hormonal changes affect tissue throughout the body. Fluctuations in hormone levels occur during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. At these times, the chance of periodontal disease may increase, requiring special attention to your oral health.

Puberty

During puberty, there is increased production of sex hormones. These higher levels increase gum sensitivity and lead to greater irritations from plaque and food particles. The gums can become swollen, turn red and feel tender.

Menstruation

Similar symptoms occasionally appear several days before menstruation. There can be bleeding of the gums, bright red swelling between the teeth and gum, or sores on the inside of the cheek. The symptoms clear up once the period has started. As the level of sex hormones decreases, so do these problems.

Pregnancy

Periodontal health should be part of your prenatal care. Any infections during pregnancy, including periodontal infections, can place your baby’s health at risk.

In fact, recent evidence indicates that the presence of periodontal disease during pregnancy results in a significantly elevated risk for complications. These include restriction of the babies weight at birth and premature delivery, which as many mothers know can lead to significant long term disabilities for a child (e.g. Asthma, learning difficulties, susceptibility to infections or disease).

The good news:

Recent research shows that treatment of periodontal disease in pregnant women significantly reduces the risk of having a small or premature baby.

Please visit the American Academy of Periodontology website at www.perio.org for more up-to-date information on this important health risk.

Your gums and teeth are also affected during pregnancy. Between the second and eighth month, your gums may swell, bleed and become red or tender. Large lumps may appear as a reaction to local irritants. However, these growths are generally painless and not cancerous. They may require professional removal, but usually disappear after pregnancy.

The best way to prevent periodontal infections is to begin with healthy gums and continue to maintain your oral health with proper home care and routine periodontal visits.

Oral contraceptives

Swelling, bleeding and tenderness of the gums may also occur when you are taking oral contraceptives, which are synthetic hormones.

You must mention any prescriptions you are taking, including oral contraceptives, prior to medical or dental treatment. This will help eliminate the risk of drug interactions, such as antibiotics with oral contraceptives – where the effectiveness of the contraceptive can be lessened.

Menopause

Changes in the look and feel of your mouth may occur if you are menopausal or post-menopausal. They include feeling pain and burning in your gum tissue and salty, peppery or sour tastes.

Careful oral hygiene at home and professional cleaning may relieve these symptoms. There are also saliva substitutes to treat the effects of “dry mouth” which may also occur.

Heart Disease, Stroke, Atherosclerosis and Periodontal Disease

Heart disease (or cardiovascular disease) affects more than 60 million Americans. It is the leading cause of death in the United States, yet many types of heart disease may be prevented. Recent research indicates that the bacteria which infect the gums and cause periodontal disease may increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. In fact researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease. Mounting evidence has led researchers to warn the public “Don’t let your mouth pollute your clean heart.”

Recent evidence indicates that there is a two-way relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes.

If your gums are infected with the bacteria which cause periodontal disease, your bloodstream acts as a direct pathway between your mouth and all of your body’s organs (much like a polluted river affecting a lake downstream). Large population based studies have indicated an elevated risk of heart attack or stroke for individuals with periodontal disease. Other studies have isolated the same types of bacteria known to cause gum disease in clogged (atherosclerotic) arteries. For more information on this important health risk please visit The American Academy of Periodontology website at www.perio.org.