Serious Gum Disease that Could Be Deadly
February 13th, 2008
Actually, more than 75% of Americans over 35 have some form of gum disease and it’s time to sound the alarm on one of the most common diseases around.
Dr. Chris Kammer, Wisconsin:
Sadly, most people think that it’s normal when dental gums bleed. Well it’s not! If you washed your hands and they started to bleed, wouldn’t you get a little worried? Of course you would, yet most people don’t get worried about bleeding gums because no one is telling them it is serious gum disease that could be deadly!!
Well I am moved to start broadcasting this message far and wide and I’m also ready to do some serious intellectual battling with anyone that tells you something different.
So, what is it?
What is Gum Disease?
In the broadest sense, the term Gum Disease (or periodontal disease) describes bacterial growth and production of factors that gradually destroy the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth. “Periodontal” means “around the tooth.”
Gum disease begins with plaque, which is always forming on your teeth, without you even knowing it. When it accumulates to excessive levels, it can harden into a substance called tooth tartar (calculus) in as little as 24 hours. Tartar is so tightly bound to teeth that it can be removed only during a professional cleaning.
Gingivitis and Periodontitis are the two main stages of Gum Disease. Each stage is characterized by what a dentist sees and feels in your mouth, and by what’s happening under your gum line. Although gingivitis usually precedes periodontitis, it’s important to know that not all gingivitis progresses to periodontitis.In the early stage of gingivitis, the gums can become red and swollen and bleed easily, often during tooth brushing.
Dental bleeding, although not always a symptom of gingivitis, is a signal that your mouth is unhealthy and needs attention. The gums may be irritated, but the teeth are still firmly planted in their sockets. No bone or other tissue damage has occurred at this stage. Although dental disease in America remains a serious public health concern, recent developments indicate that the situation is far from hopeless.
When gingivitis is left untreated, it can advance to periodontitis. At this point, the inner layer of the gum and bone pull away from the teeth (recede) and form pockets. These small spaces between teeth and gums may collect debris and can become infected.
The body’s immune system fights the bacteria as the plaque spreads and grows below the gumline. Bacterial toxins and the body’s enzymes fighting the infection actually start to break down the bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed.
Dr. Chris Kammer, Wisconsin:
The New England Journal of Medicine has reported that inflammation like you find in gum disease causes the liver to produce C- Reactive Protein which is a better indicator of future heart attack and stroke than cholesterol. Think of all the fuss we’ve heard about cholesterol over the years and now imagine a heightened concern that actually causes people to return to the dentist. It now should be standard protocol for physicians to send their stroke and heart risk patients straight to the dentist to get their gum disease under control as their first line of defense.
Symptoms and signs of Gum Disease
Although the symptoms of periodontal disease often are subtle, the condition is not entirely without warning signs. Certain symptoms may point to some form of the disease. They include:
- Gums that bleed during and after toothbrushing
- Red, swollen or tender gums
- Persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth
- Receding gums
- Formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Changes in the way teeth fit together on biting, or in the fit of partial dentures.
How to prevent Gum (periodontal) Disease?
To keep your teeth for a lifetime, you must remove the plaque (find out some more about how you can fight plaque) from your teeth and gums every day with proper brushing and flossing. Regular dental visits are also important. Daily cleaning will help keep calculus formation to a minimum, but it won’t completely prevent it. A professional cleaning at least twice a year is necessary to remove calculus from places your toothbrush and floss may have missed.
Gum Disease Treatment
The goal of periodontal treatment is to control any infection that exists and to halt progression of the disease. Treatment options involve home care that includes healthy eating and proper brushing and flossing, non-surgical therapy that controls the growth of harmful bacteria and, in more advanced cases of disease, surgery to restore supportive tissues.
Although brushing and flossing are equally important, brushing eliminates only the plaque from the surfaces of the teeth that the brush can reach. Flossing, on the other hand, removes plaque from in between the teeth and under the gum line. Both should be used as part of a regular at-home, self-care treatment plan. Some dentists also recommend specialized toothbrushes, such as those that are motorized and have smaller heads, which may be a more effective method of removing plaque than a standard toothbrush.
During a typical checkup your dentist or dental hygienist will remove the plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line of all your teeth. If you have some signs of gingivitis, your dentist may recommend that you return for future cleanings more often than twice a year. Your dentist may also recommend that you use a toothpaste or mouth rinse that is FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved for fighting gingivitis.
If your dentist determines that you have some bone loss or that the gums have receded from the teeth, the standard treatment is an intensive deep-cleaning, non-surgical method called scaling and root planing (SRP). Scaling scrapes the plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line. Root planing smoothies rough spots on the tooth root where germs collect and helps remove bacteria that can contribute to the disease. This smooth, clean surface helps allow the gums to reattach to the teeth.
A relatively new drug in the arsenal against serious gum disease called Periostat (doxycycline hyclate) was approved by the FDA in 1998 to be used in combination with SRP. While SRP primarily eliminates bacteria, Periostat, which is taken orally, suppresses the action of collagenase, an enzyme that causes destruction of the teeth and gums.
And some more useful facts from Dr. Chris Kammer, Wisconsin:
Diabetics are more susceptible to Gum Disease.
Did you know that dentists play a role in identifying the 5 million Americans with undiagnosed diabetes? This is because diabetics are more susceptible to gum disease and that can cause their mortality rate to rise by a factor of 7.5. Patients that don’t respond to our best efforts to get their hygiene under control may have undiagnosed diabetes. Patient with diabetes must keep their gum health pristine to increase their chances of survival.Alzheimer’s disease risk.
According to Time magazine, University of Southern California researchers have reported that Gum Disease inflammation can quadruple the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and that treating the inflammation could help stave off the disease.Pregnancy and oral health.
The Journal of Periodontology (oral gums and bone) showed that pregnant women with high levels of bacteria in their mouth are at high risk for delivering preterm low-weight babies. Doctors believe that the bacteria from the mouth travels to the uterus and interferes with the pregnancy.Heart and brains are also in a danger.
We have always known that gum infections of the mouth can spread to other parts of the body like the heart and even the brain! The news about gum disease and its connection to our overall health continues to come up again and again in research and medicine.It’s time to get deadly serious about the disease that most of the planet still does not take seriously!
Thanks a lot for Dr. Chris Kammer and Carol Lewis!
Categories: Gums
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