Most of us are aware that poor dental hygiene can lead to
tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath - but not brushing your teeth could
also have consequences for more serious illnesses.
Alzheimer's
disease
In
2010, researchers from New York University (NYU) concluded that there is a link between gum inflammation and Alzheimer's disease,
after reviewing 20 years of data on the association.
Comparing
cognitive function at ages 50 and 70, the NYU team found that gum
disease at the age of 70 was strongly associated with low scores for
cognitive function.
Study participants were nine times more likely to
have a score in the lower range of the cognitive test - the "digit symbol
test" (DST) - if they had inflammation of the gums.
Analysis showed that a bacterium - Porphyromonas
gingivalis - was present in the Alzheimer's brain samples but not in the
samples from the brains of people who did not have Alzheimer's. What was
interesting was that P. gingivalis is usually associated with chronic
gum disease.
Pancreatic
cancer
A research team from Harvard School of Public Health in
Boston, MA, were the first to report strong evidence on a link between gum
disease and pancreatic cancer, back in 2007.
The
type of gum inflammation associated with pancreatic cancer in the study was periodontitis,
which affects the tissue that support the teeth and can cause loss of bone
around the base of the teeth.
The
other main kind of gum disease - gingivitis; where the tissue around the teeth
becomes inflamed - was not linked to increased cancer risk. However, gingivitis can lead to
periodontitis if persistent. Gingivitis happens when bacteria in the plaque
around the base of the teeth build up due to bad dental hygiene.
Examining data on gum disease from the Health
Professionals Follow-Up Study, which involved a cohort of more than 51,000 men
and began collecting data in 1986, the Harvard researchers found that men with
a history of gum disease had a 64% increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared
with men who had never had gum disease.
Heart
disease
Perhaps
more well established is the association between dental hygiene and heart disease.
In
2008, MNT reported on research from joint teams at the University of
Bristol in the UK and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, who
found that people with bleeding gums from poor dental hygiene could be
increasing their risk
of heart disease.
The researchers found that heart disease risk
increased because - in people who have bleeding gums - bacteria from the mouth
is able to enter the bloodstream and stick to platelets, which can then form
blood clots, interrupting the flow of blood to the heart and triggering a heart
attack.
"The
mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body," said Dr. Steve
Kerrigan from the Royal College of Surgeons, explaining that there are up to
700 different types of bacteria co-existing in our mouths.
"Cardiovascular
disease is currently the biggest killer in the western world. Oral bacteria
such as Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are
common infecting agents, and we now recognise that bacterial infections are an
independent risk factor for heart diseases."
Dental Insurance
Based on the data, how important is your Oral Hygiene. Do
you get your teeth cleaned on a regular basis?
Now do you think you should? Do you have
Dental Insurance? If not here are some
excellent choices:
1.
Dental Health Services – Smart Smile plan – this
is plan with lowest premiums available, in addition there are no waiting
periods and annual limits. Downside is
this plan has limited providers and you have to use designated providers.
For more information click here
For more information click here
2.
Delta Dental - Most in Washington have
heard of Delta Dental, huge provider network.
There are 4 plan options. For
more information click here
3.
MultiFlex Dental - Large provider network
and offers higher annual plan limits.
For more information click here
For more information click here
206-227-6677
