Chewing Pumps Bacteria into the Blood

Chewing Pumps Bacteria Into the Blood

I recently came across an interesting study done in 2002. The study looked at chewing and levels of bacteria in the blood.

First, an some information about gum disease.

Periodontal disease (gum disease) is a bacterial infection that goes deep under the gums surrounding your teeth. The gums and bone around your teeth are fed by thousands of tiny blood vessels. Your periodontal bacteria goes into these capillaries and throughout your body.

This infectious bacteria adds to deposits on the blood vessel walls and can generally lower your immune system. It can also promote infections in other parts of your body. Research has found that patients with untreated periodontal disease are more likely to have other medical problems as well.

The 2002 study looked at 67 patients. Researchers found that 6% of periodontal patients had active toxins in their blood before chewing and 24% had active toxins in their blood after chewing. This put four times more harmful bacteria in the blood.

The more plaque and calculus that builds up around the teeth the worse it gets. The gum tissue lining periodontal pockets becomes ulcerated and allows these bacteria and toxins into the blood stream through the ulcers.

As more time passes between dental cleanings the buildup gets worse and the invasion of these harmful bacteria and toxins into the blood gets worse as well.

Having healthy gums, good oral hygiene and professional dental cleanings at the proper interval are your best defense.

To learn about treating gum disease with a laser visit LILaserperio.com

Causes of Periodontal Disease

The main cause of periodontal (gum) disease is plaque, but other factors affect the health of your gums.

Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. The main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth. However, factors like the following also affect the health of your gums.

Smoking/Tobacco Use
As you probably already know, tobacco use is linked with many serious illnesses such as cancer, lung disease and heart disease, as well as numerous other health problems. What you may not know is that tobacco users also are at increased risk for periodontal disease. In fact, recent studies have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease.

Other contributing factors include genetics, women's issues, stress, medications, grinding, diabetes, poor nutrition and obesity. These will be covered in future posts.

If you have gum disease and want to treat it without sugery, consider laser periodontal therapy. To learn more about the periodontal laser keep reading here.

Periodontal Maintenance after Gum Laser Treatment Suffolk County

Is it worth it to keep up with maintenance visits after Laser Periodontal therapy Long Island

You bet it is. Periodontal treatment is divided into two phases. The first phase or the active phase is designed to get your mouth healthy. The second phase or the maintenance phase is designed to keep your mouth healthy. Gum disease is s chronic disease. You can never be immune to it. But you can minimize the chances of it coming back. Studies have shown that periodontal treatment with maintenance is very effective at preserving ones teeth and dramatically reducing the incidence of tooth decay and gum disease recurrence. Studies have also shown that periodontal treatment without maintenance is of little value in the long run in preserving periodontal health.

Dr. Scharf is Long Island's premier periodontist. He treats gum disease with a laser and places dental implants in Babylon, Suffolk County NY.

Gum Disease and HIV

Study Links Acid Produced From Gum Disease With HIV

February 13, 2009

A recent study conducted by researchers in Japan found that an acid produced in the mouth because of gum disease might promote the progression of HIV, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the researchers, the study, which will be published in the March issue of the Journal of Immunology, marks the first time a link has been discovered between gum disease and HIV, although previous research has linked gum disease with diabetes and heart disease. According to study author Kuniyasu Ochiai of Nihon University, butyric acid -- produced by a group of bacteria that causes periodontal disease --hinders an enzyme called HDAC, which blocks HIV from proliferating. Takashi Okamoto, molecular biology professor in central Japan's Nagoya City University, and Kenichi Imai, a research assistant at the university, also participated in the study.

Through in-vitro experiments, the researchers found that HIV quickly proliferated in two kinds of immune system-related cells after they were given culture fluid containing the gum disease-causing bacteria and butyric acid. Ochiai said, "Serious periodontal disease could lead to the development (of AIDS) among HIV-positive people ... although the probability largely depends on individual physical strength." He adds that there are "fears that even those [who] were unaware that they had contracted HIV could develop the epidemic once they have periodontal disease." The research team intends to confirm their finding in animal tests, Ochiai said (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/11).

Conservative Periodontal Treatment Long Island

What's different about LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY™?
LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY™ uses a special kind of laser called the PerioLase®, invented by two dentists in Cerritos, California. Dr. Robert Gregg and Dr. Delwin McCarthy spent years developing a better way to treat gum disease. The laser fiber, which is only about as wide as a couple of human hairs, is inserted between the gum tissue and your tooth, where it painlessly removes the noxious elements that cause gum disease.

How many treatments will I need?
LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY™ doesn't take much time at all -- just two two-hour sessions versus eight to ten one-hour sessions with surgery. You don't have to worry about bleeding, stitches or post-treatment infection, because your gums haven't been cut.

What about recovery - will I be in pain or need to follow a special routine?
The sense of recovery is immediate, due to the laser’s ability to seal blood vessels, lymphatics and nerve endings. Of course, your tissue needs time to recover, regenerate and heal over the course of time, but after LASER PERIODONTAL THERAPY™, you can drive your car, go back to work, or do anything else you like.

Here is the rest of the article of Conservative gum treatment Long Island