preventing disease by improving your oral health

7/30/2019 Preventing Disease by Improving Your Oral Health

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P reventing D isease byIMPROVINGYOUR ORAL HEALTHBy Matthew Solan

E ven health-conscious people may be surprised tolearn that gum disease is the m ost comm on diseaseof all in adults, affecting an estim ated 80% ofAmericans over the age of 35. As researchers investigatethe causes and effects of gum diseases such as g i ng i v i t i sand per iodont i t i s , they are uncovering startling linksbetween poor oral health and many chronic diseases thatafflict aging adults. Mounting research studies indicatetha t poor ora l hea l th f requent l y accompanies orcontributes to a wide array of systemic illnesses such asheart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.M aintaining optimal oral health not only will give you abrighter, healthier smile, but also may help you fend offmany potentially deadly diseases. By safeguarding thehealth of your teeth and gums through healthy dietand lifestyle, proper brushing and flossing, and targetednutritional strategies, you increase your odds of living along and healthy life. > > >


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POOR GUMS, POOR HEALTHAccording to a recent reportfrom the federal Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention,researchers have uncovered poten-tial links between periodontal dis-ease and many serious healthconditions. The reason, according

to many medical experts, is that thebacteria that contribute to gingivi-tis and periodontitis provokeinflammation or infection, whichcan trigger certain diseases. Peri-odontal disease may even aggra-vate or worsen existing healthconditions. This article discussesthe tnost common ailments associ-ated with gum disease, along withnovel approaches to optimize youroral health.

Heart disease. Researchers havediscovered that people with peri-odontal disease are much m ore like-ly to suffer from coronary arterydisease than those without the dis-ease. A 2004 study in the Journal ofPeriodontohgy found that 91% of108 patients with cardiovasculardisease suffered from moderate tosevere periodontitis, compared to66% of the non -cardiac patients."

Scientists have advanced severaltheories to explain the link betweenperiodontal disease and heart dis-ease. One theory holds that inflam-mation caused by periodontaldisease leads to impaired function-ing of the vascular endothelium,which contributes to arterialdisease.^ Still another hypothesis isbased on several studies showing

G U M D I S E A S E B A S I C S

The mouth is home to more than 45 0 species of microorgan isms. Most of these are neces-sary to ma intain heal thy teeth and gu ms; in fact , fewer tha n 5 % have been l inked to periodontal(gum) infect ions. St i l l , even this smal l number can do signi f icant damage.

The path to gum disease has many steps, beginning wi th plaque format ion. Plaque is aninvisible, sticky fi lm that covers your teefh when starches and sugars in food interact with bac-teria normal ly found in your moufh. Al though if is removed each t ime you brush, plaque ca nreform within 24 hours. Plaque that stays on your teeth fo r longer fhan t wo o r three days c a nharden under your gum l ine and turn into tartar. This whife substance acfs as a reservoir fo rbacteria and makes plaque even more difficult to brush away. Tartar is bound so tighfly fo teetht ha t it can be removed only by a professional c lean ing.

The longer thaf plaque and farfar persisf, the more damage they inflict. Init ial ly, they mayjust i rr i fafe and inf lame the gingiva, the part of fhe gum around the base of your teeth. This iscommonly known as gingivitis an d is fhe mildest form of gum disease. Its t rademark signsinc lude bad breafh and swol len, red, bleeding, or receding gums.

Leff untrea ted, however, ging ivifis can progress to more severe periodontitis. This fina l sfageof gum disease occurs when ongoing gingivit is leads to fhe developmenf of pockefs befweenyour gums and teeth tha t f i l l w i th more plaqu e, tartar, and bacteria. Over f ime , fhese pockefscan spread under your gum fissue and cause infections that may result in t issue or toofh loss.More than one in three people over the age of 30 have periodon t i tis, and conservat ive est imatesput fhe number of Americans wifh periodonfit is a t 35,7 m i l li on. '

that periodontal infections cancorrelated with increased levelsinflammatory mediators, suchfibrinogen, C-reactive protein,cytokines, which have been colated with increased risk of cardvascular disease.^'"In a pilot study reported in ea2006, investigators found that treing moderate to severe periodondisease in 22 otherwise healadults led to significant improments in endothelial function,well as decreases in interleukin-6inflammatory cytokine. Periodontreatment was also associated wreductions in C-reactive proteAlthough more studies are needthese findings suggest that treatperiodontal disease not only boooral hygiene, but also improves seral measures of cardiovascuhealth.

Stroke. The presence of gum dease also may increase risk of stroPrevious research found that severity of gum disease is proptionally related to the amountarterial plaque located in the caroarteries, the two major arteries each side of the neck that supblood to the brain. Blockage hmay reduce blood flow to the bror advance blood clots, which lead to a stroke. A 2005 study frthe University of Minnesota foundirect link between high levelsbacteria that cause gum disease athickness of the carotid arterThis research stands out as the fto link atherosclerosis with the tyof bacteria that causes gum diseaand not w ith o ther oral bacteria.

Diabetes. Diabetes is associawith increased risk of infectiwhich may include oral infectisuch as periodontitis. Researchhave noted that periodontal diseis a common complication of dbetes.'- In fact, people with typetype II diabetes are more suscepble to severe, progressive periodtal disease than non-diabeindividuals.'^'*

Studies suggest that periodondisease may adversely affect blosugar control in people wdiabetes. Controlling periodoninfection in diabetic individuals


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T H R E A T S T O D E N T A L H E A L T HW h i le l a c k o f p r o p e r b r u s h i n g c a n l e a d fo e x c e s s iv e p l a q u e b u i l d - u p a n d

e v e n t u a l g u m d i s e a s e , o t h e r f a c t o r s a l s o c o n t r i b u t e . T h e s e i n c l u d e :S m o k i n g . B y s o m e e s t im a t e s , s m o k i n g c a u s e s m o re th a n 5 0 % o f a d u l t g u m d i s e a s e s inf h e U S . T o b a cc o u s e in a n y f o r m , in c l u d i n g c h e w i n g t o b a c c o , c a n d a m a g e y o u r im m u n es y s te m a n d i n c re a s e y o u r r is k o f p e r i o d o n t a l i n f e c f i o n .D r u g s . M a n y p r e s c r ip t io n a n d o v e r - fh e - c o u n f e r d r u g s s u c h a s c o ld r e m e d i e s ,a n f i h i s f a m i n e s , a n d a n f i d e p r e s s a n f s h a v e fh e s i d e e ff e c f o f d e c r e a s i n g yo u r b o d y 'sp r o d u c t io n o f s a l iv a . S a li v a h a s a c l e a n s i n g e f f e c f o n y o u r f e e f h a n d h e i p s i n h i b i f t h eb a c f e r ia l g r o w t h t h a t c a u s e s p l a q u e . O t h e r d r u g s , e s p e c i a ll y a n t i- s e i z u r e m e d i c a t i o n sa n d i m m u n e s u p p r e s s a n t s , s o m e t im e s c a u s e a n o v e rg r o w t h o f g u m f is s u e , w h ic h m a k e sp l a q u e m o r e d i f f i c u l f f o r e m o v e .N u t r it io n a l d e f i c i e n c i e s . A d ie f l a c k i n g p r o p e r a m o u n t s o f c a lc i u m a n d v i f a m i n C c a nc o n t r i b u t e t o g u m d i s e a s e . C a l c i u m h e l p s t o b u i l d d e n s i t y i n f h e a l v e o l a r b o n e f h a fs u p p o r f s t h e f e e f h . P e o p l e w h o c o n s u m e l i f f l e d i e t a r y c a l c i u m e a c h d a y m a y e x p e r i e n c eu p f o a t w o f o l d g r e a t e r r i s k o f p e r i o d o n t a l d is e a s e . ^ V i f a m i n C is a p o w e r f u l a n t i o x i d a n ff h a f h e l p s fo m a i n t a i n a n d r e p a i r h e a l fh y c o n n e c f iv e f is s u e . R e s e a r c h e r s w h o a n a l y z e dv i f a m i n C i n t a k e a n d p e r io d o n f a l d is e a s e i n d ic a f o r s i n 1 2 , 4 1 9 U S a d u i fs f o u n d f h a f f h o s ew h o c o n s u m e d le s s t h a n f h e r e c o m m e n d e d 6 0 m g a d a y o f v it a m i n C ( a p p r o x im a f e ly t h ea m o u n f f o u n d i n o n e o r a n g e ) w e r e a b o u f 3 0 % m o r e l i k e ly fo d e v e l o p s e v e re g i n g i v i f ist h a n f h o s e w h o c o n s u m e d t h r e e t i m e s f h e R D A ( m o re f h a n 1 8 0 m g ).^ G e r m a n r e s e a r c h e rsr e c e n t l y f o u n d f h a f p e o p l e w i f h g u m d i s e a s e w h o a t e t w o g r a p e f r u i f a d a y f o r f w o w e e k sh a d s i g n i f i c a n t l y l e s s b l e e d i n g o f f h e g u m s . To e x p l a i n t h e s e e f f e c f s , t h e y p o i n f e d f o a nin c r e a s e i n b l o o d l e v e ls o f v i fa m i n C ( e a c h g r a p e f r u if c o n f a i n s 9 2 . 5 m g o f v i t a m i n C ) .*G e n e t i c i n f l u e n c e s . R e s e a r c h s h o w s f h a f a p p r o x i m a f e l y o ne h a l f o f t h e g e n e r a lp o p u l a f io n m a y b e g e n e t ic a l l y s u s c e p t i b le f o g u m d is e a s e . ^ R e s e a r c h f ro m B o s t o n ' sF o r s y fh I n s f i f u f e s h o w e d f h a t a f o r m o f e a r ly - o n s e t p e r i o d o n f a ! d i s e a s e m a y b e c a u s e d b ya d e f i c i e n c y i n w h i f e b l o o d c e l l f u n c t i o n . T h e s t u d y f o c u s e d o n m i c e , b u f f h e r e s e a r c h e r sa d d e d f h a f f h i s f o rm o f g u m d i se a s e m a y b e in h e r i te d a n d a f fe c f s 1 - 1 0 % o f A m e r ic a n s . ^

a marker of long-term bloodMeasures to combat complica-

in f l a mm a to r y b u r d e n ,

Premature and low-weightNew fmdings indicate that

y of Chile study

babies than women with healthiergums. The likely reason is that peri-odontitis or gingivitis bacteria con-tribute to an inflammatory responseof the placental membrane, whichmay induce preterm labor. Periodon-tal treatm ent reduced the risk of p r e -mature and low-weight bir ths inwom en with pregnancy-related gumdisease."

Other conditions. Gum diseasemay also con tribute to other physicalproblems. For instance, some evi-dence suggests that periodontal dis-ease may contr ibu te to lunginfections like pneumonia, or mayworsen chronic conditions such asemphysema.'^ Experts believe thismay be due to oral bacteria th at m oveinto the airways of the throat andlungs. Poor oral health may alsoaccom pany poor joint health. People

with m oderate to severe periodonti-tis experience an increased risk orheumatoid arthritis.'" Gum diseaseis also present in many patients whosuffer f rom juvenile idiopathicarthritis.'"HOW TO BRUSH AWAYGUM DI SEASE

The best way to fight gum diseaseand avoid periodontitis is to stop ibefore it starts. This m ean s adop tinga lifestyle that inc lude s a health y dietregular exercise, daily brushing andflossing, and a visit to your dentist aleast every six mo nth s. lust d evotingyourself to a diet that includes plen-ty of fruits a nd vegetab les, alon g vrithregular exercise (five sessions ofmoderate activity or three of vigor-ous intensity each week), can reduceyour chance of developing perio don -titis by 40%.'^

A review of 50 years of clinical tri-al data found that when it comes toproper brushing, brushing twice aday is optimal.-" Common sensemight dictate that the longer andharder you brush, the better yourlikehhood of e liminating plaqueHowever, a group of European scien-tists discovered that the optimamethod is to brush for about two


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m inu tes at m edium force {150 gramsof pressure) using a power tooth-brush. They added that brushinglonger and using more than 150grams of pressure offered little addi-tional benefit in removing plaqueand th at mo re vigorous cleaning mayin fact be harmful. Heavy brushingmay damage gums and wear downteeth, both of which can lead to oralhealth problems.- ' Another recentstudy found that power (electric orelectronic) toothbrushes were supe-rior to manual ones in removingplaque and reducing gingivitis.' '

N U T R I E N T S FO RH E A L T H Y G U M SYour too thpas te is a c ruc ia lwea pon in the fight against gum d is-

ease. Many ingredients are effectivein controlling gingivitis and prom ot-ing oral health. These include coen-zym e QIO, xylitol , hydro genperoxide, lactoferrin, folic acid, andsqualene, as well as natural agentssuch as tea tree oil, green tea extract,an d esse ntial oils. Their benefits inhelping to prevent gum disease aresupported by the latest scientificresearch.Coenzyme QlO. The antioxidantcompound CoQlO aids energy pro-duction in the body. Research hasfound that the gum tissue of peoplewith periodontal disease is oftensignificantly deficient in

Initial evidence suggests tha t topicalCoQ 1 0 sup plem ents m ay be effectivein slowing periodontitis by reducingbleeding and swelling.-^ Wliile addi-tional research is needed, the con-sensus is that CoQ 1 0 helps supply theenergy needed for the body to healand repair mouth tissue.Xylitol. Pure xylitol is a white

crystalline substance that resemblesand tastes like sugar. It is found nat-urally in fruits such as plums, straw-ber r ies , and raspber r ies . Xyl i to !is used commercially to sweetensugarless gum and candies. It has4 0 % fewer calor ies than regularsugar and appears to have none ofsugar's negative effects on insulinrelea se.'' It is also believed to p reventcavities by inhibiting the growth ofcav i ty -caus ing bac te r ia such asStreptococcus mutans.^^ A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of2,630 children compared a standardfluoride toothpaste with one thatalso con tain ed 10% xylitol. Over athree-year period, children given thexylitol-enriched toothpaste devel-oped notably fewer cavities thanth o s e u s in g th e f lu o r id e - o n lytoo thpas te ."

Hydrogen peroxide. Commonlyused in toothpastes and whiteninggels to help eliminate stains andbrighten teeth, hydrogen peroxide isalso added to some mouthwashes toreduce gingivitis and whiten teeth.^''Its foaming action works to carryaway food particles and bacteriafrom gum tissue.

Wliile higher concentrations ofthe whitening agents hydrogen per-oxide and carbamide peroxide maydamage tooth enamel, recent find-ings suggest that the concentrationsof these agents found in over-the-counter dental care products posenegligible risk to tooth enamel."'Hydrogen peroxide has been associ-ated with DN A-dam aging effectsin some animal and cell studies;however, a recent review noted thatden ta l ca re produc ts conta in inghydrogen peroxide are unlikely todamage DNA in humans, and thatsuch products can be used safely bythe general population.'"

Lactoferrin. Lactoferrin, a natu-rally occurring antimicrobial agent.

is found in saliva and gingival fluas well as in breast milk, tears, aother bodily fluids. Lactoferrin mbind to and slow the growth of peodontitis-associated bacteria.^' Inanimal study, locally applied lacferrin powder appeared to suppthe heali ng of oral lesions. -Folic acid. The bod y relies on facid for red blood cell producti

Eolic acid is the most comm only dcient B vitamin. A lack of folic acan increase the risk of gingivitongue inflammation, and periodtitis. Studies have shown that rinswith 5 ml of mouthwash contain5 mg of folic acid for one mintwice daily, can improve gingivsymptoms, including gum rednan d bleeding. ^ A 2004 stu dy frIndia found that children who ufolic acid along with proper ohygiene practices reduced their indence and severity of gingival ovgrowth related to prescription duse compared to a group that prticed only basic oral care.'^

Tea tree oil. A recent study in Australian Dental Journal showthat a toothpaste gel containing tree oil, used twice daily, reducespresence of gingivitis comparedplac ebo .'' Tea tree oil's a nti-flammtory and antimicrobial propermay be responsible for its effectpromoting oral health.


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Squalene. Extracted from shark

Squalene has been used as ansome cance rs . A recent s tudy

Essential oils. Natural essentialleaf, pepper-

notes these natural oils "workthan other similar ingredi-used by many commercialgum s an d tissue."

Green tea ex trac t . Long em-

C O N C L U S I O NThere are many ways to improve

entals. Oral hygiene is a simple waygreatly increase your chances ofhealthy, disease-free

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preventing disease by improving your oral health

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