Periodontitis & Systemic Disease

Periodontitis is the main cause of tooth loss in adults. It is an infection and inflammation of the gums and bone surrounding your teeth. Your gums can become red, swollen and may even bleed.

There has been a long standing connection between oral health and systemic diseases. This relationship relates to the passage of bacteria from the oral cavity into the bloodstream causing an increase in systemic inflammation and so may be associated with some chronic inflammatory diseases which include:

Periodontitis and Diabetes
There is a 2-3 fold increase in the risk of periodontitis in patients with diabetes. This means people with diabetes have a 2-3 times increased risk for periodontitis.

Periodontitis and Pregnancy
During pregnancy some women get swollen and sore gums. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make your gums more vulnerable to plaque, leading to redness, swelling and bleeding.

Periodontitis and Smoking
Smoking weakens your body’s immune system, which makes it harder to fight off gum infection. Once your gums have been damaged, smoking also makes it harder for your gums to heal.

Periodontitis and Heart Disease
If you suffer from severe periodontitis, you are more at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a heart attack or stroke.

Periodontitis and Diabetes

There is a 2-3 fold increase in the risk of periodontitis in patients with diabetes. This means people with diabetes have a 2-3 times increased risk for periodontitis.

Periodontitis and diabetes have a two-way link so that people with diabetes are more prone to developing periodontitis and people with periodontitis can find it harder to achieve glycemic control. Controlling periodontitis means ensuring better glycemic control in patients with diabetes.

If you have diabetes, your body has a low tolerance for inflammation. Therefore, pathogenic bacteria in the gums accelerate the destruction of gum and bone around teeth. Oral health should be an integral part of diabetes treatment.

If you think you have Diabetes and think you have Periodontitis please do give us a call.

Periodontitis and Pregnancy

During pregnancy some women get swollen and sore gums. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can make your gums more vulnerable to plaque, leading to redness, swelling and bleeding.

Some particularly susceptible people may go on to develop Periodontitis. There is evidence that neglecting Periodontitis during pregnancy can, in some cases, lead to a low birth weight. Therefore maintaining oral health is fundamental for both the health of the mother and her baby.

The most common risks that pregnant women incur are:

• Gum inflammation and bleeding, which can be treated through improved oral hygiene combined with a periodontal check-up.
• Pyogenic granuloma, which can be a large overgrowth of the gum, treated most often after child birth.
• Periodontitis which can lead to gum loss and tooth loss and where early diagnosis is essential.

If you are pregnant and have Periodontitis please get in touch with us.

Periodontitis and Smoking

Smoking weakens your body’s immune system, which makes it harder to fight off gum infection. Once your gums have been damaged, smoking also makes it harder for your gums to heal.

Tobacco is often associated with bad breath and nicotine stains on the teeth. But there is also a close relationship between gums and smoking. Periodontitis is more severe in smokers and progresses more rapidly. The risk of having Periodontitis in smokers is 3 times greater and the risk of losing teeth in smokers is 2 times greater than in non-smokers.

It is common for gums of smokers not to bleed. This is due to the vasoconstrictive effect of tobacco. The lack of inflammation of the gums make early diagnosis difficult.

The reasons why smokers are more susceptible to gum disease:

• There is a higher proportion of aggressive periodontal bacteria in smokers. The smoke of one cigarette contains 4,000 toxic and carcinogenic substances.
• There is less blood flow and less oxygen in the gums of smokers. So there will be less white blood cells to fight against the periodontal bacteria.
• Tobacco reduces the amount of cells defending the body, it worsens their function and so affects your body’s immune response.
• The effects of tobacco alter and damage the gum tissue, in particular the formation of collagen.
  Tobacco reduces saliva, which helps clean teeth and contains nutrients that help fight against bacteria in the mouth.
• Treating smokers with Periodontitis is difficult and unfortunately the response to gum treatment is lower with up to 50% less success from treatment. So our recommendation for smokers is also to give up smoking if possible.

If you smoke and think you might have periodontitis then please do get in touch with us.

Periodontitis and Heart Disease

If you suffer from severe periodontitis, you are more at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a heart attack or stroke.

Why are people with gum disease at risk?

Both Cardiologists and Dentists think the bacteria under the gums pass into the bloodstream leading to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The excessive presence of bacteria under the gums can raise the level of cardiovascular risk between 1.7 and 3.3 times.Taking care of your gums can have a beneficial effect on your arteries and metabolism. The link between gum health and the health of your whole body is real and important.