It is a fact that periodontal disease is a bacterial infection and all infections are cause for concern. The bacteria can enter the blood stream and travel to major organs and begin new infections. Research is suggesting this may:
- Contribute to heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death.
- Increase the risk of stroke
- Increase a woman's risk of having a pre-term, low birth weight baby.
- Pose a serious threat to people whose health is compromised by diabetes, respiratory diseases, or osteoporosis.
- New research relates gum disease to specific forms of cancer.
Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.
Gum Disease
It is estimated that 50 percent of Americans have some form of periodontal (gum) disease. Since periodontal disease is painless until it progresses to its advanced stages, most are left unaware of their condition until it is too late.
Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth. Your gum tissue is not attached to the teeth as high as it may seem. There is a very shallow v-shaped crevice called a sulcus between the tooth and gums. Periodontal diseases attack just below the gum line in the sulcus, where they cause the attachment of the tooth and its supporting tissues to break down. As the tissues are damaged, the sulcus develops into a pocket: generally, the more severe the disease, the greater the depth of the pocket.
Several warning signs that can signal a problem:
- Gums that bleed easily
- Red, swollen, tender gums
- Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
- Persistent bad breath or bad taste
- Permanent teeth that are loose or separating
- Any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- Any change in the fit o partial dentures
