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by Muriel
Kauffman
Ordinarily, I don't give my teeth much thought, but after a
phone call last week from an old friend, I'm feeling particularly
fortunate to have them.
She lost all her teeth about 12 years ago at age 50, due to gum
disease. What disturbed her most of all was learning too late that
if her gums had been looked after properly, she would still have
her teeth. She felt particularly betrayed because she did visit a
dentist regularly.
Later, my friend went through the time-consuming, painful
process of getting implants. (In all fairness, this procedure may
have improved since then.) Now, 10 years later, her implants have
become infected, they have had to be removed, and with her history
of strokes and heart disease, she has been advised to stick to
regular dentures. (Around the same time, she also suffered a series
of devastating strokes, but I attributed this to her smoking.)
As a young teenager whose mom had lost most of her teeth by the
time she was in her late 30's, and with a mouthful of fillings of
my own, I once declared to my dentist that with my lousy teeth, I
was sure, I'd lose them at an early age. Fortunately, despite the
painful fact he didn't believe in novocaine (ouch), he was ahead of
his time in other ways. I've had much reason, through the years, to
remember his response.
"Don't worry about you teeth," he assure me, "We can always fix
those. Just take care of your gums."
It seems the man was right. Today, most of my teeth have crowns
or caps or, at the very least, a filling or two, but, they're still
here, For this blessing, I am grateful to the dentist and
periodontists who have helped educate me, and who have taken care
of my mouth throughout me adult life.
After my friend's recent phone call, merely by coincidence, I
read an article suggesting that periodontal disease may be
connected to strokes and heart disease, Could it be? Was smoking
not the only risk my friend was dealing with when she had those
strokes? It's impossible to make such an assumption and what
happened to her would be merely anecdotal, nonetheless, I can't
help but wonder.
Reading about this possible connection between periodontal
diseases and stroke and hear disease, I wanted to a clearer
understanding of periodontal disease is what the connection could
be. Dr. Josh Kleinman, whose knowledge and skill helps keep my own
mouth as healthy as possible, seemed like a good person to
approach. He kindly obliged by sending my the following fax, but
pleas note- he stressed the word "possible" in discussing the
connection, between periodontal disease and heart disease.
"Periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, is a
bacterial infection of the gums, bone attachment fibres that
support the teeth and hold them in the jaw. The bacteria are found
in dental plaque, a sticky, colourless film that constantly forms
on the teeth. Toxins produced by the bacteria and plaque irritate
the gums causing infection, if left untreated, this infection
causes periodontal disease which can result in bad breath, bleeding
gums and eventually tooth loss. Almost half of all adults have some
form of periodontal disease. However, the majority of these people
do not ever realize they have it."
"Because periodontal disease it a bacterial infection,
periodontal bacteria can enter the blood stream and travel to major
organs and begin new infections The hear is on the the most
susceptible organs, Several theories exist to explain the link
between periodontal disease and heart disease. One theory is that
oral bacteria can attack the heart when they enter the blood
stream, attaching to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries (heart
blood vessels) and contributing to clot formation."
"Coronary artery disease is characterized by a thickening of the
walls of the coronary arteries due to the build up of fatty
proteins. Blood cots can obstruct normal blood flow, restricting
the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to
function properly, This may lead to heart attacks. Researcher have
found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as
likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as how without
periodontal disease."
"Periodontal disease has also been linked to other significant
health problems, including respiratory diseases, strokes, diabetes,
osteoporosis and premature and underweight births. A new study of
fat deposits in the carotid arteries of stroke sufferers show that
70 percent contain bacteria, and 40 percent of it comes for the
mouth"
I had no idea that maintaining my gums was important is on other
ways than just in saving my teeth. I was merely lucky years ago.
after changing dentists, my new dentist advised me to seek
periodontal treatment. When, as a busy mother mother and wife, I
had not done so after a year, the same dentist threatened he would
no longer treat me if I didn't have my gums properly taken care of.
He didn't want to stand by and watch me lose my teeth when it
wasn't necessary. Fortunately, I was sufficiently intimidated and
have include periodontal services a part of my own health care ever
since.
Since Kleinman also recommended I investigate the website of the
American Association
of Periodontist, I clicked on "The Mouth-Body Connection,"
where I found an extensive discussion about gum disease and
osteoporosis, heart disease and stroke, pregnancy problems,
diabetes, and respiratory diseases.
Now that I've scared you half to death, the least I can do is
give you few tips on how keep your mouth healthy. Of course, brush
and floss often and ask your dentist how to keep your tongue clean
as well. A Water Pik can help remove food debris form between your
teeth, but Kleinman, knowing about my less-than-perfect flossing
habits, warned it wouldn't get me off the hook, flossing is still
necessary.
Simply often drinking water can help. Oral bacteria thrive in a
dry mouth, which can be caused by smoking, alcohol, mediation or
normal aging. My wise childhood dentist advised me to use
rubber-tipped stimulator and apparently they are still a good idea.
Such a stimulator can be useful around hard-to-reach tooth
surfaces, I've also read, if you are a post menopausal women,
hormone replacement therapy may help, but I would never suggest you
so so without proper research and a thorough discussion with your
doctor about the risks involved.
Above all, visit your dentist regularly-and smile.
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