Pregnancy Risk Factors for Women with Gum Disease

The study conducted and published in the Journal of Periodontology revealed that periodontal treatment significantly reduced pre-term or low birth weight risks among infants by 68% especially in women with pregnancy-associated gingivitis.

Why are Pregnant Women in Greater Risk?

Because of the elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone among pregnant women (and those taking oral contraceptive pills), the bacteria found in plaque react differently to the gums and vise versa. This is called pregnancy gingivitis and the sad thing is, it affects 65 to 70% of pregnant women who are in their second month of pregnancy until the ninth month or even before then when the woman gives birth.

Gums that are infected with periodontal disease serves as reservoir of disease-causing bacteria. These bacteria releases toxins that are detrimental to the gums, ligaments and bone surrrounding the teeth. It then produces infected pockets that has access to travel all throughout the pregnant women’s body via the bloodstream.

Prostalandins are then produced to combat the inflammation or infection from the pregnant women’s gums. However, aside from controlling inflammation, prostaglandins are also responsible for smooth muscle contraction. Thus, if a pregnant woman has gum disease, her body produces extra prostaglandins which causes her to go into labor prematurely or deliver a baby which is low in birth weight. That it why it is recommended to have pregnant women receive proper dental care from a periodontist during pregnancy to avoid this scenarios.

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How an Oral Surgeon is Different From a Dentist

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is considered one of the nine dental specialties according to the American Dental Association. These kinds of surgeries are usually performed by a dentist with education in the specialty. It is usually abbreviated as OMF.

The Many Benefits of Going to a Waterlase Dentist

Patients often avoid scheduling an appointment with a local cosmetic dentist in Orange County because they are nervous about any discomfort that they might feel. Others are worried about taking even more time out of their schedule for multiple dental appointments. With the advanced Waterlase dental system, however, many of these common issues can now be avoided entirely.

Oral Health and Its Importance

Every once in awhile, checkups must be done to see what is wrong with our bodies. Like how the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Just like how one cares for his body, one must also take care of the oral health.

What You Can Expect from Dental Implants

A simple smile can instantly light up someone’s face and can even be a distinctive feature of a person. This shows how important teeth is, which underlines even more the fact that it is important to keep have them checked on a regular basis; but what about those who have lost their teeth? Fortunately, technology has a solution for that – dental implants.

Would Gum Health Assure Heart Health? Your Periodontist Answers!

There’s a saying that every bone is connected to the next one in line that is why it is no wonder that there are studies and research connecting gum disease with heart disease and for health-conscious individuals here in Orange County, going to a periodontist and a cardiologist are enough assurance to keep both healthy!

Cardiologists and Periodontists are still debating on the link between dental health and heart health and the issue is still not resolved until now according to Dr. Robert Bonow, the past president of the American Heart Association and also the chief cardiologist at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University.

According to him, “There are threads of evidence, but they’re not yet tied together. If it’s true that people with poor oral health have more heart attacks, it doesn’t mean the poor oral health leads to them. People with good oral hygiene may just be taking better care of themselves.” In saying this, he means that we need to take good care of our oral health and exercise healthy habits to protect our heart too.

Why were the two diseases linked in the first place? There are two factors which gum disease and heart disease share in common according to Sam Low, DDS, president of the American Academy of Periodontology and associate dean in the College of Dentistry at the University of Florida. These are:

• The several types of bacteria found in gum disease is similar to what are found in heart disease. Dr. Low stated that, “The bacteria we find in gum disease we also find in blood vessels that are going through atherosclerosis.”
• Inflammation is also common between both illness. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) increases with moderate to severe gum disease and its levels are also assessed in persons suffering from heart attacks.

So it is safe to say that we need to take care of both our oral health and heart health to prevent any risk factors. The joint report of Dr. Bonow and Dr. Low recommends that:

• Periodontists should inform patients with moderate to severe gum disease that they have risk factors in developing heart disease too.
• The patient’s periodontist and cardiologist should work together to reduce the patient’s risk of developing heart disease through proper periodontal care.
• Patients with heart disease or a high CRP level should go to a periodontist for an evaluation especially if they also show symptoms of gum disease.

The bottomline? Listen to what your periodontist here in Orange County has to say. Keep your gums healthy by brushing and flossing regularly and seek treatment immediately especially if you have a history of heart disease.

Sources:

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart?, WebMD

Treating Gum Disease May Lessen the Burden of Heart Disease, Harvard Health Publications

Periodontists and Oral Surgeons Share Tips on Preparing for a Dental Implant Procedure

Dental implants are an excellent restorative option for anyone that has lost one or more teeth. With the proper aftercare, patients will be able to enjoy their new smile for the rest of their life. If you or a loved one is preparing for your next oral surgery, then take a look at these tips to help you speed up the recovery process. What Are Dental Implants? Before taking a look at the procedure, patients should first understand exactly what dental implants are. This technology has been used since the 1960s as a long-term treatment option for tooth loss. Oral surgeons generally begin this procedure with an initial consultation to check for health issues such as periodontal disease that could affect the implants.
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