The Dangers of Gum Disease

Periodontitis is common - 8-10% of the population have a high susceptibility to plaque induced inflammation of the gum tissue.

This is usually symptom free (people often accept bleeding gums as "normal"), until the later stages of the disease when abscesses can develop or teeth become loose.

One of the ways we monitor your gum health is to concentrate of the "pocket" depths and working to reduce them (a pocket is the little cuff of gum around the tooth that is usually 1-3mm in health). However, there is more and more scientific evidence emerging that persistent oral inflammation can be damaging to overall health and wellbeing.

Believe it or not, this concept of oral disease causing general health problems isn't a new one, Hippocrates in 400BC attempted to treat arthritis with the removal of teeth, and in the 1930's the focal infection theory was popular (the idea that oral infection caused inflammatory changes in distant body sites). And now it's back.......

The two most common diseases linked with periodontitis are heart disease and diabetes, although there have also been associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes, stress, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis among others.

Plaque left on teeth can lead to blood vessel damage, altered blood clotting and ultimately an increased risk of heart disease through a number of pathways. Periodontal patients have an increased level of c-reactive proteins and other inflammatory markers - and these are seen as a risk factor in heart disease. Treatment for periodontal disease will reduce the level of these inflammatory markers, so therefore reduce the risk of heart disease also.

We know that diabetes makes periodontitis makes worse. Diabetics are more prone to abscesses and periodontal disease. Advanced Glycaemic Endproducts are produced in the body of a diabetic when the patient is hyperglycaemic as a way to mop up any excess glucose in the blood. When the AGE circulate in the blood they stimulate inflammation and can also lead to mobility and also reduce healing.

This link between gum disease and other systemic disease should definitely be taken seriously, and treatment for gum disease should be based on reducing gum inflammation in the hope that it will have an effect on a patients systemic health as well.*

Here at Absolute Dental we are lucky to have a periodontal specialist in the practice who takes referrals from all over the South West and beyond! We work together to share data and findings from reports such as this which means, as a team our knowledge on the subject is as up to date as possible. If you have any concerns, please speak to the team.

*taken from an article in PPD April 2011 by Matthew Perkins BDS MSc(Perio) MClinDent(Perio) MFD RCSI MRD RCSEd  specialist periodontist.