Previously unknown health risks for Australians – that gum disease
suffered by one in three Australian adults (1) could increase the risk
of serious cardiovascular events, Type 2 diabetes and adverse pregnancy
outcomes – are now coming to light following decades of dental and
medical studies.
For Dental Health Week
(2-8 August) this week, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) wants
to alert Australians to the very close links between what goes on in
their mouths and the far-reaching effects on the rest of the body.
The latest research across a range of studies (2) has shown that people
with advanced gum disease (periodontitis) have a much higher risk of a
heart attack than people without it.(See Background at end of release
for more.)
In another study (3) conducted recently by Prof Joerg Eberhard, an oral
health scientist and Chair of Lifespan Oral Health at the University of
Sydney’s School of Dentistry, it was found that not brushing your teeth
caused systemic inflammation which could prompt serious cardiac events.
“We asked a cohort of healthy young people with no cardiovascular risk
factors, to not brush the same quadrant of their mouths, that’s seven
teeth, for three weeks, to see what effect it would have on their
health,” explained Prof. Eberhard.
“After three weeks we measured the inflammation in that quadrant of the
mouth and we found the inflammation caused by not brushing there, had
reached other parts of their body.
“But as soon as they started brushing that quadrant again, C-reactive
protein, a risk marker for heart attacks, went down to normal levels.
It’s another clear and concerning link between mouth health and whole of
body health.”
Extensive research over decades has found that the main conditions that
link the mouth with the rest of the body are cardiovascular, Type 2
diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes (4).
Studies are also being conducted into the effects of periodontitis on
pregnant women. Some early data suggests that if the gum disease is
treated, the risk of having a premature baby declines.
The ADA’s Oral Health Promoter and dentist Dr Mikaela Chinotti said:
“These serious health conditions and events can be significantly reduced
if people regularly look after their mouths.
“That means brushing twice a day with a small amount of fluoridated
toothpaste, flossing daily, eating a diet low in sugar and seeing your
dentist regularly for checkups. These typically include a scale and
clean which is vital for removing the bacteria that build up and start
the process of periodontitis and inflammation.”
Another recent international study (5) by a group of cardiologists and
dentists showed that treatment for gum disease reduced blood pressure
(BP) normally only achieved through medications, because high BP can
come about due to a loss of elasticity in blood vessels and this loss
can be caused by inflammation from gum disease.
Lifestyle also plays a big role in oral health: in a three year study
(6) of people from Queensland with poor oral health including gum
disease, Prof. Eberhard and colleagues found that by adopting better
teeth brushing techniques, going regularly to the dentist and adopting a
healthier diet all led to reduced systemic markers which are predicters
for a heart attack.
The ADA’s Dr Chinotti explained that periodontitis signs can be
difficult to spot and may include bleeding from the gums and very little
or no pain, and without treatment, the condition can worsen over time
until affected teeth may finally become loose.
Risk factors include older age, smoking, drinking alcohol above
recommended levels, the presence of diabetes and poor oral health
practices.
“While periodontitis damage can’t be reversed, you can stop its
progression by seeing a dental practitioner for treatment, including
professional cleaning of the teeth above and below the gums which the
patient cannot access, which halts the disease and reduces
inflammation.”
More advanced cases may need surgical treatment performed by a
specialist periodontist under a local anaethetic to access difficult to
reach areas under the gums.
“Regular dental visits are the best way to keep on top of your oral
health and detect and manage conditions such as periodontitis, in their
earliest stages of development.
“This is in addition to those other oral health basics that add up to
only about six minutes a day but which protect the health of your whole
body and not just your mouth.
“For too long mouth health has been separated from body health. It’s time to put the mouth back in the body.
“The ADA hopes that by making this mouth and whole-of-body relationship
more widely known to Australians, they’ll understand oral health is an
integral part of general health.”
References:
(1). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/adj.12765
(2). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.621626/full
(3). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055265
(4). (i) https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2014.140248.
(ii) https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2005.76.11-S.2144.
(5). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31504461/6.
(6). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030057122100107X
– Australian Dental Association’s “
Previously unknown health risks for Australians – that gum disease
suffered by one in three Australian adults (1) could increase the risk
of serious cardiovascular events, Type 2 diabetes and adverse pregnancy
outcomes – are now coming to light following decades of dental and
medical studies.
For Dental Health Week
(2-8 August) this week, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) wants
to alert Australians to the very close links between what goes on in
their mouths and the far-reaching effects on the rest of the body.
The latest research across a range of studies (2) has shown that people
with advanced gum disease (periodontitis) have a much higher risk of a
heart attack than people without it.(See Background at end of release
for more.)
In another study (3) conducted recently by Prof Joerg Eberhard, an oral
health scientist and Chair of Lifespan Oral Health at the University of
Sydney’s School of Dentistry, it was found that not brushing your teeth
caused systemic inflammation which could prompt serious cardiac events.
“We asked a cohort of healthy young people with no cardiovascular risk
factors, to not brush the same quadrant of their mouths, that’s seven
teeth, for three weeks, to see what effect it would have on their
health,” explained Prof. Eberhard.
“After three weeks we measured the inflammation in that quadrant of the
mouth and we found the inflammation caused by not brushing there, had
reached other parts of their body.
“But as soon as they started brushing that quadrant again, C-reactive
protein, a risk marker for heart attacks, went down to normal levels.
It’s another clear and concerning link between mouth health and whole of
body health.”
Extensive research over decades has found that the main conditions that
link the mouth with the rest of the body are cardiovascular, Type 2
diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes (4).
Studies are also being conducted into the effects of periodontitis on
pregnant women. Some early data suggests that if the gum disease is
treated, the risk of having a premature baby declines.
The ADA’s Oral Health Promoter and dentist Dr Mikaela Chinotti said:
“These serious health conditions and events can be significantly reduced
if people regularly look after their mouths.
“That means brushing twice a day with a small amount of fluoridated
toothpaste, flossing daily, eating a diet low in sugar and seeing your
dentist regularly for checkups. These typically include a scale and
clean which is vital for removing the bacteria that build up and start
the process of periodontitis and inflammation.”
Another recent international study (5) by a group of cardiologists and
dentists showed that treatment for gum disease reduced blood pressure
(BP) normally only achieved through medications, because high BP can
come about due to a loss of elasticity in blood vessels and this loss
can be caused by inflammation from gum disease.
Lifestyle also plays a big role in oral health: in a three year study
(6) of people from Queensland with poor oral health including gum
disease, Prof. Eberhard and colleagues found that by adopting better
teeth brushing techniques, going regularly to the dentist and adopting a
healthier diet all led to reduced systemic markers which are predicters
for a heart attack.
The ADA’s Dr Chinotti explained that periodontitis signs can be
difficult to spot and may include bleeding from the gums and very little
or no pain, and without treatment, the condition can worsen over time
until affected teeth may finally become loose.
Risk factors include older age, smoking, drinking alcohol above
recommended levels, the presence of diabetes and poor oral health
practices.
“While periodontitis damage can’t be reversed, you can stop its
progression by seeing a dental practitioner for treatment, including
professional cleaning of the teeth above and below the gums which the
patient cannot access, which halts the disease and reduces
inflammation.”
More advanced cases may need surgical treatment performed by a
specialist periodontist under a local anaethetic to access difficult to
reach areas under the gums.
“Regular dental visits are the best way to keep on top of your oral
health and detect and manage conditions such as periodontitis, in their
earliest stages of development.
“This is in addition to those other oral health basics that add up to
only about six minutes a day but which protect the health of your whole
body and not just your mouth.
“For too long mouth health has been separated from body health. It’s time to put the mouth back in the body.
“The ADA hopes that by making this mouth and whole-of-body relationship
more widely known to Australians, they’ll understand oral health is an
integral part of general health.”
References:
(1). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/adj.12765
(2). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.621626/full
(3). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055265
(4). (i) https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2014.140248.
(ii) https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2005.76.11-S.2144.
(5). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31504461/6.
(6). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030057122100107X
