Healthy Gums Healthy Body
Published on Aug 02 by Daniel Guidera under Dentistry
I attended a lecture recently given by Dr. James Grisdale, a periodontist from British Columbia. It was a good lecture with a balance of practical clinical information combined with good science and no ego.
One topic discussed was the association of Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease) and various health problems. The links to heart disease, low birth weight, diabetes and other maladies is clear. What is not clear is the directionality, i.e. which came first and is there a cause and effect relationship. It could simply be a lifestyle or genetic factor that causes them to occur at the same time. This association is nothing new; the discussion has been going on for at least a decade with more evidence supporting a link.
One hypothesis for a casual relationship from gum diseases to other diseases is centered on the over-reaction of the body’s immune system to periodontal disease, similar to how hay fever is an over-reaction to pollen, which then causes problems in the body. Other ideas suggest that some molecules that make up bacteria, when spread throughout the body can cause harm to various organ systems. It will be interesting over time to see how this plays out. A healthy scientific skepticism is always good when looking at this stuff.
What I do know is that in the last few years I am finding more physicians asking patients to get their teeth and gums in order before undergoing certain medical procedures. I recently needed to stabilize the dental health of a young woman about to undergo a bone marrow transplant. With the upcoming compromise of her immune system potential oral infections could be devastating. Likewise, I am seeing more people being referred by surgeons to eliminate oral infection and its potential prior to having a joint replaced.
While not everything that makes sense is true it seems pretty likely that a healthy mouth really does go hand in hand with a healthy body.