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periodontics
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According to the American Academy
of Periodontology Several Studies Have
Shown Periodontal Disease to be
Associated with Heart Disease
Funny how taking care of your mouth helps the rest of your body, too.
Dentaltown.com > Message Boards > Health Topics > The Oral-Systemic Health Connection > According to the American Academy of Periodontology...
howard
Member Since: 03/28/00
Post: 1 of 10
Related Message Boards
The Perio-Restorative
Systemic Link
Systemic Link
Current Scientific Evidence
Does Not Establish Causeand-Effect Relationship
Between Gum Disease and
Heart Disease or Stroke
Current Scientific
[Editor’s Note: The following excerpt is from the
California Dental Association.]
According to the American Academy of Periodontology, several studies have shown periodontal
disease to be associated with heart disease.
“While there’s no proven cause-and-effect relationship between oral health and heart health,
research has indicated that gum disease can increase
the risk of heart disease,” said California Dental
Association President Dr. James Stephens. “In addition to any connection to heart health, maintaining good oral hygiene habits is important in reducing the risk of oral disease and protecting
your mouth and overall health.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 715,000 Americans
have a heart attack each year and roughly 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United
States each year.
As part of American Heart Month, CDA encourages taking steps to learn more about
how the health of your mouth, teeth and gums can affect your heart. The mouth is a good
indicator of overall health, and prevention is key in reducing the risk of both heart disease and
oral health problems.
To keep your teeth and gums healthy and to help reduce the risk of heart disease, CDA suggests brushing with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes, twice a day, flossing regularly, avoiding
sugary drinks and visiting a dentist for regular checkups.
For more information, visit CDA.org. ■
FEB 19 2014
alanrw
Member Since: 05/16/11
Post: 2 of 10
Isn’t it easier to make the assumption if someone isn’t taking care of their teeth, they are
probably also being as negligent to their overall health and doing everything you are not supposed to do for a long, healthy life? Remember Occam’s Razor: The simplest explanation is
usually the correct one. ■
FEB 19 2014
mfdmd
Member Since: 06/02/13
Post: 3 of 10
That’s the same theory I have. Perio is common, heart disease is common, if both are common, then wouldn’t you expect to see patients with both diseases? ■
FEB 19 2014
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periodontics
message board
continued from page 24
Jill Kring Carter
Member Since: 04/19/10
Posts: 4 & 6 of 10
Was talking with a cardiologist about this just the other day. I happen to be his patient.
I happen to be writing an article on the oral-systemic link for an upcoming issue of a health
magazine.
Consider that you are likely seeing patients with both, much more often than you realize.
You see the perio. You may not know they also have cardio involvement. And quite often,
neither does the patient yet. Refer the patient for a GP or cardiologist for evaluation if they
are otherwise in the risk pool to your knowledge (family history, weight, blood pressure, etc.)
and have perio.
Same goes for the cardiologist or GP. He or she sees the cardio issues, but not necessarily
the perio, nor necessarily does the patient know he or she has perio involvement. So, cardio
and GP should be referring these patients for dental care.
My cardiologist is on my butt to be in the hygienists chair every three to four months for
prevention and because I had a mild perio issue that was resolved in the past through endo,
perio (crown lengthening) and crown placement.
[Posted: 02/19/14]
I’m always surprised how few dentists request copies of annual checkups and lab work
from GPs, etc. If I were in practice, I sure as hell would with what we now all know about
the oral-systemic link. The physicians with whom I work would not argue your request, and I
doubt many patients would either. I’m sure if you instituted your own protocol to request such
for all patients over 50, you wouldn’t get much complaint.
Of course, once dental care is treated as it should be (just another specialty of medicine
in line with primary care) the records will be readily available through network and hospital
system electronic health records. I know, dirty words in dentistry: electronic records. ■
FEB 19 2014
mfdmd
Member Since: 06/02/13
Post: 7 of 10
My point is these studies don’t really say anything Earth shaking. They show a correlation
between two really common diseases, which shouldn’t be shocking considering their prevalence. The way they are presented to the public in the media and by some dental advertising
makes it seem like if you get your teeth cleaned, you can prevent or cure heart issues, which
is very misleading. ■
FEB 19 2014
hudley
Member Since: 09/18/02
Post: 8 of 10
Correlation doesn’t equal causation.
[Editor’s note: Go online to view accompanying link.] ■
FEB 19 2014
Jill Kring Carter
Member Since: 04/19/10
Post: 9 of 10
You are so right about that. Very misleading how it’s often presented to the public. ■
FEB 20 2014
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Heart Disease
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