Is There a Link Between Gum Disease and Cardiovascular Health?

Is there a link between periodontal (gum) disease and cardiovascular disease? Medical researchers are endeavoring to answer this intriguing question, but early findings seem to say yes. If it bears true, the findings could advance treatment for both diseases.

There is one thing that can be said for certain: inflammation is a factor in both diseases’ progression. Gum disease begins as an infection caused by bacteria growing in plaque, which is made up of bacteria and a thin film of food remnant that adheres to tooth surfaces. The body responds to this infection through tissue inflammation, an attempt to prevent the infection from spreading. Likewise, inflammation appears to be a similar response to changes in blood vessels afflicted by cardiovascular disease.

While inflammation is part of the body’s mechanism to heal traumatized tissue, if it becomes chronic it can actually have a damaging effect on the tissues intended to benefit. For patients with gum disease, chronic inflammation causes connective tissues to detach from teeth, leading eventually to tooth and bone loss. Similarly, inflammation damages the linings of blood vessels in cardiovascular disease patients.

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The Laser Revolution is Changing the Dental Healthcare

Lasers have transformed our everyday lives, especially in healthcare. These intense beams of light of a single wavelength have revolutionized all manner of diagnostics and treatments, from general surgery to cosmetic therapy.

Dentistry has also been influenced by the laser revolution. Here are just a few of the areas where they’re growing in use and popularity.

Early disease detection. Laser instruments can take advantage of “fluorescence,” the tendency of bacteria to “glow” when exposed to certain wavelengths of light. This is proving more effective in detecting early tooth decay in pits and fissures (very tiny areas in a tooth’s biting surface) than traditional needle-like probing instruments called dental explorers. Newer lasers can now detect the same fluorescent qualities in soft tissues, which may reduce the detection time for oral cancer and make the difference between life and death.

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When Does Wisdom Needs To Exist?

 Do you believe in preventive or rather prophylactic extraction, or would you suggest to leave them for the good condition still exists? Would you recommend wisdom tooth extraction for your child especially upon reaching early adulthood?

There are common dental problems involving wisdom tooth that occur during early adulthood and even to patients over 50 years of age. Think about what would you prefer or ask about your dentist's stance about his personal opinion based on actual evaluation and experiences?

They are commonly called or known as "third molars", wisdom teeth are the last to come out. Their arrival which can be sometimes late into your twenties, is not always a usual phenomena. In total, we can expect to have four wisdom teeth, both upper and lower, left and right part of the jaw. But there are cases wherein enough space for the extra teeth will not be possible. Sadly, this can cause problems and for sure a lot of pain. Sometimes the feeling of pain and discomfort suddenly disappear, however there are instances wisdom teeth need to be extracted. With the recovery time of a couple of days, the procedure is usually a quick one carried out using local anaesthetic.

Our desire and natural ability to maintain proper hygiene in these hard-to-reach areas consistently over many decades is compromised. It may not be a great issue to retain wisdom teeth as a young adult, nevertheless, the chances of developing decay or periodontal disease increases as we grow older. However, there are factors we have to consider like aging for example. It  increases the risk of developing condition that may hinder the healing process. We should take note all of these facts before considering wisdom tooth extraction.

As the widow of a late dental professional, it is my observation and I'm happy to share this with you. He had most of the time recommended: To get your wisdom tooth extracted at an early age until your bone is soft and teeth will come out easily, thus, the healing process will develop faster. Although, we may be lucky and never encounter any problem in few cases, waiting will just put us into the risk of a more complicated and agonizing recovery with inevitable or constant damage to the remaining other teeth.

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Dental Implants: Failure Risks and Promising Development

Dental implants are now used widely around the globe. However, questions about patient risk assessment prior to placing the implants still bound. What causes implants to fail in some patients but not others?

The placement of implants in a patient with periodontal disease would be one relevant concern. Researchers from Sweden performed a systematic review to determine if a persons with periodontitis are more susceptible to peri-implantitis. (1) The scientists included 22 randomized and non-randomized clinical human studies.The conclusion was that an increased in susceptibility for periodontitis may also confer an increased risks for implant loss, loss of supporting bone and postoperative infection. They also state that the study results should be considered cautiously due to confounding uncontrolled factors. As dental implant placement concepts change, we should all be aware of the clinical implications of studies such as this one.

A recently published study discussed the effectiveness of implant treatment in a large patient population nine years after treatment. (2) They used a large and randomly selected patient sample, and concluded that patient characteristics and implant features affect results. They discovered that smokers and patients with an initial diagnosis of periodontitis were at higher risks of implant loss. Those with implants shorter than 10 mm and implants using particular kind of products also showed increased risks. 

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