It’s just a cleaning … right?

For many of us, the prime motivation to get our teeth cleaned is primarily to get the “Starbucks stains” off. However, recent medical research keeps uncovering more and more connections between the health of your mouth and your overall health.

More than 75 percent of Americans over age 35 have some form of gum disease. Sadly, many people think it is pretty normal for their gums to bleed when they brush. It may be common, but it is not normal.

Chronic gum inflammation causes the liver to produce a protein that is a better indicator of the risk for a future heart attack or stroke than high cholesterol levels. Multiple studies have shown that people who have moderate or advance periodontal (gum) disease are almost twice as likely to also have heart disease than those who have healthy gums.

As we have discussed in previous articles this year, gum disease can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 400 percent, and can even increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 64 percent.

Additionally, there are other systemic issues that are connected to chronic inflammation in the body. Since gum disease is the most common chronic inflammatory process in the body, it is beginning to get more attention as a possible factor in other medical conditions.

Historically, periodontal disease has commonly been overlooked as a cause for concern amongst the medical community, with the exception of orthopedic surgeons. They have been aware of the importance of excellent gum health as it relates to the success of their joint replacement surgeries for many years.

I sign letters to orthopedic specialists routinely to indicate that our mutual patient is in good periodontal health and ready for surgery. Why? Because they don’t want to perform a hip or knee replacement on someone who has bacteremia, or significant pathogenic bacteria, circulating in their bloodstream. The bacteria can lodge in the newly placed joint and cause it to fail. All joint replacement patients should be cleared by their dental office before undergoing surgery.

Bacteremia is the technical term for infected blood. Untreated periodontal disease can lead to bacteremia. How does that happen? When the bacterial plaque is not regularly and thoroughly removed from the surfaces of your teeth, it settles into the shallow pocket of tissue around each tooth. Those tissues are very porous.

Once the bacteria gains a foothold, your body’s immune system inappropriately and excessively responds, resulting in chronic inflammation and a loss of the “seal” in the tissues to keep bacteria out. The bacteria is able to get past the tissue barrier and inside the blood vessel system and circulate throughout the body.

Signs of infection

So what are the signs of periodontal disease? Red, swollen gums. Bleeding of any kind when you brush or floss your teeth. Gums that seem to be shrinking or pulling away from your teeth. A bad taste or pus when you push on a swollen area of gum. Loose teeth or pain when you bite down or chew. These are all signs of an active periodontal infection.

In this situation, there is oral bacteria circulating in your bloodstream, which means that anywhere this infected blood travels, including the lining of your heart and blood vessels, your joints and brain tissue is exposed to disease causing bacteria and prone to infection.

I love analogies, and here is one we use regularly in our office. Most of us have had a splinter in our finger at one time or another. If you aren’t able to remove it, the tissue around it soon gets swollen and tender. Partly this is due to the bacteria infecting the area, and partly it’s due to your immune system starting the process to try to get rid of the splinter. It does that by eventually festering it out.

When your teeth have bacteria and toxins chronically attached to them, your body begins to treat your tooth like an infected splinter; it wants it out. It does that by sending in inflammatory cells and starting biochemical processes that begin to erode the bone away from your tooth.

Your body is literally trying to eject the tooth, like an infected splinter, to protect the body from further infection! Obviously, it’s important to treat the periodontal infection so that your body can once again recognize your tooth as something it wants to keep.

The treatment for gum disease is relatively straightforward. Typically, the inflammation is the body’s response to bacteria and calcified debris that has attached itself to the root surfaces of the teeth. We call the calcified material “calculus.” You could smear antibiotic cream on it or even take systemic antibiotics but it wouldn’t do any good. You must remove the calculus and toxins both above and below the gum line in order for your body to heal the area. That process is done over two or more appointments, with local anesthesia to keep you comfortable.

In order to keep the infection at bay, and your body’s immune system calmed down, typically you need to return to the dental office every 3-4 months or the condition may reoccur.

Your dental office team will help you develop a prevention program that is tailored to your specific needs. Mouthwashes and antibiotics will not solve the problem any more than they would solve the problem of an infected splinter.

The good news? Regular dental cleanings and exams allow us to evaluate your periodontal condition and head off more painful and expensive care down the road. Dental treatment is now proven to literally help save lives and smiles.

“Just a cleaning”? Hardly. If it’s been awhile since you have seen a dentist, schedule an appointment. Your overall health depends on it.

Stuart Rich, DDS, is the owner of Simply Smiles, a general dental practice in Auburn, and writes on a variety of dental topics. He and his team, including associate Dr. Jennifer Fields, treat patients of all ages. He also assists sleep specialist physicians in providing an alternative to the CPAP machine for those with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. If you have questions about dentistry or sleep apnea, visit www.SimplySmilesAuburn.com or www.SleepSolutionsNW.com, email at info@SimplySmilesAuburn.com, or call 253-939-6900.