DENTAL
FLOSS COULD
SAVE
YOUR LIFE
The
past year uncovered one of the most unlikely ways to prevent heart disease: Keep
your gums healthy.
A
large study at the University of North Carolina, better designed than previous
studies, further validated what much other research had already hinted at: Periodontal
disease is a risk factor for heart disease. So what's the connection between your heart and your mouth?
The pockets formed when sick pockets pull away from teeth "have
one of the highest concentrations of bacteria in the body," answers Prevention
dental advisor Dominick Depaola, DDS, PhD, president of Baylor College of
Dentistry in Dallas. Gum disease is
an infectious disease, and the infection can result in the bacteria being pumped
into the blood stream, which may damage the heart walls or valves.
The bacteria may also cause the release of those cruel clotting factors
that can spur heart attacks and strokes.
What
you can do is keep up your flossing,
which helps stop gum disease. "The
head is connected to the rest of the body.
So when you prevent disease in one place, like the mouth, it has all
kinds of important consequences on overall health and well-being," says
Dr. Depaola. Sometimes life really
is simple.
Reprint
from Prevention magazine
The Link Between Gum
Disease
and Heart Disease
With grant monies from the National Institute of Dental Research,
scientists at the University of North Carolina are exploring a possible
link between periodontal disease and heart disease. Data from previous
studies indicate that people who have severe periodontitis are more likely
to develop heart disease than those who do not have periodontal problems.
Researchers theorize that the bacteria that causes plaque also may cause
white blood cells to release clotting factors and proteins.
These biochemicals in turn can contribute to heart
disease and stroke. Armed with this information, UNC researchers will
collect and evaluate data on the periodontal conditions of 14,000 adults
currently enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, or
ARIC. By comparing the clinical measures of heart disease with periodontal
data, researchers hope to determine whether a solid association exists
between the two. If one does, other studies may be designed to identify
what biological mechanisms might be at work. "This kind of research
brings dentistry more into the realm of general health," says James
Beck, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at LTNC and a principal investigator in
this project, "and can demonstrate that a patient's oral and gingival
condition could be related to other diseases that the patient may have or
may develop." Begun in 1987, ARIC is sponsored by the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute and involves adults aged 45 to 64 years who live
in North Carolina, Mississippi, Minnesota and Maryland. Dr. Beck estimates
that data collection for the periodontal component of this study will run
through 1999.
Journal of the American Dental Association,
September 1996
