Gum disease is easy to ignore. There’s not much to see, and it’s rarely painful or even uncomfortable.
But subtle doesn’t equal benign.
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A chronic mouth infection–that’s what gum disease is, in fact–can play out in several serious ways. It’s thought to:
– Increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
– Increase the incidence of premature, low-birthweight babies.
– Exacerbate diabetes, which now affects 17 million Americans.
– Possibly contribute to grave lung disorders, such as pneumonia and emphysema.
“People tend to see [periodontal disease] as a local problem,” said Marjorie Jeffcoat, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
She has studied the effect of oral infection on low birthweight. “As the evidence is coming in, it may be that it can have serious ramifications for certain people.”
Aside from colds and flu, periodontal disease is the most common infection in the United States. It’s estimated that 25 percent to 35 percent of people 35 to 60 years old have the disease to at least a modest extent.
It makes sense that an infection in the mouth, like an infection anywhere else in the body, can spread and become a systemic problem, Jeffcoat said. After all, the blood that circulates through the mouth also travels throughout the body.
The connection between gum disease and fetal health is well established. A pregnant woman with periodontal disease is more likely than a noninfected woman to give birth prematurely and to deliver a small baby, Jeffcoat said. There also are signs that treating periodontal disease in a pregnant woman can greatly improve the odds of her delivering a full-term, normal-weight infant.
“If we treat it very simply by cleaning above and below the gum line, we can cut that risk,” she said.
The connection between periodontal disease and heart trouble is also strong. About 90 percent of the studies done to date point to significantly more heart disease and strokes among people with periodontitis, said John Rapley, chairman of the periodontology department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.
Finally, there are indications that chronically infected gums and/or teeth may lead to lung infections. With every breath, oral bacteria get a free ride into the lungs. Pathogenic bacteria that tend to inhabit the lungs have been found in the mouth and vice versa, Rapley said.
Michael Rethman, president of the American Academy of Periodontology, calls the emerging connections between gum disease and a raft of other chronic diseases a “revolution in medicine.”
Warning signs
Indicators of developing gum disease:
– Bleeding gums when you brush your teeth or eat hard food
– Swollen or tender gums
– Mouth pain
– Persistent bad breath
– Spaces developing between your teeth
– Receding gums
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– Teeth that seem to be getting longer
– A change in the way your teeth come together when you bite
— KRT
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])