Gum Disease & Health Problems
Since the later 2000s we have seen an increase in the awareness of gum disease and health problems. Consider this analogy: a person with moderate gum disease has as much bacteria load in their mouth as a person with a gangrenous foot. The bacteria in gum disease can cause damage to your heart valves, weaken your immune system, and add to all of the previous TOX side effects that we have covered on this website.
The same root canal concepts that have already been discussed apply to Periodontal disease. All forms of gum problems, including gingivitis, must be treated without delay. Gum disease is normally a factor behind why root canals have been associated with health problems. The biggest issue in dentistry today is the fact that an alarming number of practitioners are NOT diagnosing gum disease properly. We see a lot of diagnosis made that blames root canals for infections and problems that are actually caused by periodontal pathogens. Many times it’s the incorrect diagnosis of the cause. Bacteria from gum pockets will definitely travel into healthy as well as root canaled teeth and can increase the BIOFILM problem.
2 Major Categories of Periodontal Bacteria
There are 2 major categories of periodontal bacteria that can be extremely harmful to your body. One is an amoeba called Entamoeba Gingivalis which is also implicated in causing syphilis. The second is a spirochete called Borellia Burgdorfereio which is known to cause Lyme’s Disease. If you have been diagnosed with syphilis or Lyme’s Disease you may want to consider a periodontal examination.
Periodontal pathogens are also know to increase C-Reactive Protein Test (CRP). CRP is a common test that most medical doctors prescribe for their patients to evaluate heart inflammation. CRP is produced by the liver to fight inflammation. It is also the best signs of heart disease…often better than cholesterol levels. Periodontal treatments have been proven to lower CRP without question. CRP levels must stay under 5. If they do not lower with gum treatment then there are other problems in the body that must be addressed.
Gum Disease and Your Health
Heart surgeons will not perform a transplant if the patient has NOT had a dental examination, including periodontal screening. Most cardiothoracic surgeons are now also requiring this for bypass surgeries.
Harvard School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a SIGNIFICANT association between gum disease and pancreatic cancer.
Diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and atherosclerosis have also been linked to gum disease. So have pneumonia deaths in nursing homes where dental hygiene and care can be lacking.
Many readers will consider these facts and point to the concept that teeth and gums are too small to make such an impact on your overall health simply because there could not be enough bacteria in the mouth to cause such a problem. Well, the same thing can be said about a drop of cyanide.Â
