Hi,
Dentists have been diagnosing and treating periodontal disease for a long time. We have always known it to be the major cause of the loss of teeth in adults. And we have been pretty successful over the years in helping patients overcome their gum disease and become dentally healthy.
Dentists have always been concerned with the detection and control of gum disease as a part of helping their patients keep their teeth healthy through their lives. Now we know that this effort is part of a larger picture and that we must be aware of the part that gingivitis and periodontal disease plays in our patients’ general health.
The Bad News
In July of 1998, the American Academy of Periodontology launched an effort to educate the public about new findings which support what dental professionals had long suspected: Infections in the mouth can play havoc elsewhere in the body.
Evidence has continued to mount to support these links. We now know that people with periodontal disease are at higher risk for developing heart disease, stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, preterm births and respiratory disease. And most recently, a possible link has been identified between periodontal disease and pancreatic cancer.
How does this work?
Periodontal bacteria can enter the blood stream and travel to major organs and begin new infections. Additionally, periodontal inflammation is associated with increased circulating levels of certain proteins, such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP) that are associated with multiple systemic illnesses. Research continues to explore these links to understand more about how the connections work.
So What Can You Do?
If you value your oral health as well as your overall health, a thorough periodontal evaluation is a good idea. Of course, our regular patients have this kind of evaluation at their initial visits with us and at every regular checkup.
Recently, improved methods of detection of periodontal disease in its very earliest stages have become available and we have been adopting these methods as they are proven. Modern methods of treating periodontal disease, such as PerioProtect, have made treatment much, much more comfortable and effective. You can check out PerioProtect at www.perioprotect.com. We hold Premier Certification in PerioProtect and have enjoyed very good results with our perio patients here in our Dutchess County office.
No one should lose their teeth or get sick from gum disease.
We can help. If you would like a free group of articles telling about the connections between periodontal disease and serious general health issues, just send us e-mail to DrSteveRoss@aol.com and we'll get it right out to you.
Here's a good You Tube video showing dental hygienists talking about their PerioProtect experience and how it helped their patients: www.youtube.com/user/perioprotect.
