Whoa....scary stuff!!!
That TIME magazine cover was dated 23 Feb, 2004; so the information has been out in the mainstream for the last 7 years, that:
GUM DISEASE CAN KILL YOU!!!
All right, let's settle it down with some facts. Starting with the signs of gum disease:
But what actually happens? We will call it by it's correct term - periodontal disease. Which means "around" (perio), the tooth (dontal).
If you don't keep bacteria under control, the body must try and defend itself with an immune system response, beginning with inflammation. Your gums begin looking at your bacteria covered tooth as a foreign object.
Think of a splinter - the skin goes red around it (inflammatory response); then pus develops until the foreign object is expelled from the body. The same thing happens around dirty teeth.
If the gums bleed, bacteria is entering the blood stream. But this ain't the full story.....it's about the inflammation. See if you can make anything out of this diagram:
Meaning: The chronic inflammation in periodontal disease is quite often the first stage towards heart disease. Which can kill you.
Periodontal disease is also linked to:
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Gastric ulcers
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Pregnancy complications
- Alzheimers
Scared?
Don't care?
Just think about it - for your sake. If what you read motivates you to do anything positive for your mouth - from flossing, to more regular visits to us - this blog has worked.
Treat or even prevent periodontal disease, and you can reduce the risk of all of the above conditions.
For us, here @ DJ Lee - Dentist, if our knowledge of the oral-systemic connection, motivates us to look after your overall health, rather than be just tooth mechanics - we're doing the right thing.
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