Gum Disease Has Far-Reaching Effects on Your Health

March 6, 2023 Jennifer Ebner

Does gum disease affect my body’s health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), oral diseases affect about 3.5 billion people worldwide. Despite this high incidence, people continue to engage in practices that predispose their teeth and gums to several problems. This includes consuming sugary foods, smoking tobacco, taking alcohol, and having poor oral hygiene.

Many oral diseases or problems affect the general population. The most common ones are dental caries or cavities, periodontal or gum disease, oral cancer, and edentulism (total tooth loss). While dental caries remain a major obstacle to oral health, it is periodontitis that has since become a subject of widespread concern. Apart from affecting the gums and mouth, periodontitis affects the impact and progression of several systemic diseases like cardiovascular disorders, diabetes mellitus, bacterial pneumonia, and even low birth weight.

Sadly, it is estimated that as much as 19% of the global adult population is suffering from severe periodontitis. In the United States, the figure is a little bit lower at 9%. However, despite the low incidence, as much as 46% of all adults aged 30 years and above show signs of periodontitis or gum disease.

What is gum disease or periodontitis?

Periodontitis, often known as gum disease, is an inflammatory condition that affects both the soft and hard structures that support the teeth. The gums and bones supporting the teeth are both affected by periodontal disease. Pain, bleeding or swollen gums (gingivitis), and occasionally poor breath are symptoms of the condition. When the condition is more severe, the gum can separate from the tooth and its supporting bone, resulting in teeth becoming loose and even falling off.

According to the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), periodontitis or gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss among people. Along with tooth decay or dental caries, they form the biggest threat to dental health.

As mentioned earlier, periodontitis affects a majority of the adult population. In the United States, periodontal disease affects 47.2% of adults aged 30 and older. And as the age increases, the risk of developing gum diseases rises. This can be seen in another statistical estimate that put the incidence rate of periodontitis at 70.1% in adults 65 years and above.

What are the stages of gum disease?

Gum disease occurs in various stages. The first stage usually involves acute inflammation of the gums or gingivitis, after which periodontitis follows.

Gingivitis

The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis. It takes place when bacteria and plaque build up on your teeth and lead to an infection. Gums that are red, swollen, and bleeding are typical signs of such infection. Bleeding usually occurs when you brush or floss your teeth. We can fight gingivitis using regular dental cleanings and improved oral hygiene at home in between checkups.

Early periodontal disease

Gums get puffy and red in the early stages of periodontitis, and bone loss begins around the teeth. These “gum pockets” contain dangerous bacteria. Gum tissue begins to change under chronic inflammation as the immune system struggles to combat the infection. Similarly, you might experience minor bone loss around your teeth and bleeding while flossing and brushing your teeth.

Moderate and severe periodontitis

You can have bleeding, pain, and gum recession from mild periodontal disease. Your teeth will start to lose their bone support. Also, the infection may likely cause inflammation to spread throughout your body.

When the condition becomes worse, the connective tissue that maintains your teeth in place is affected. Supporting gums, bones, and other tissues are damaged. As your periodontitis gets worse, you may have terrible breath, an awful taste in your mouth, and discomfort when you chew. In the end, your teeth become susceptible to falling out.

What are the causes of periodontitis?

Generally, periodontitis or gum disease starts with inadequate dental hygiene. If you are not aware, a healthy human mouth normally contains tons of different bacteria. Thankfully, the majority of these bacteria are harmless. When we don’t maintain proper dental hygiene, such bacteria can build up in our mouths and result in increased dental plaque.

Plaque is a sticky coating of bacteria that continually develops on the teeth. After you eat or drink, the bacteria in plaque produce acids. Such acids will erode tooth enamel — a condition that causes cavities and gingivitis. Moreover, plaque can form on tooth roots and gums, weakening the bones that support teeth.

As the bacterial population grows on our teeth to form a plaque, our body’s immune system acts to fight such an occurrence, a condition that leads to the inflammation of the gums.

Apart from poor dental hygiene, smoking has been identified as a significant risk factor for periodontal disease. It is second only to the formation of tooth plaque in terms of its impact on the prevalence, severity, progression, and response to treatment.

According to research, smokers are more likely than non-smokers to experience issues like tooth and bone loss, gum recession, and periodontal pockets, all of which raise the risk of developing more severe periodontal disease.

Other risk factors include poor nutrition, hormonal changes (especially the ones related to menopause or pregnancy), genetics, intake of medications, weakened immunity, obesity, and other diseases like diabetes and arthritis.

How can periodontitis affect your body?

Of course, periodontitis causes gum inflammation, gum recession, tooth pain, bad breath, tooth loss, and other oral problems. Unfortunately, its problems are much more than that. Emerging scientific evidence shows that there’s a strong link between systemic disorders like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, problems in pregnancy outcomes, and periodontal disease.

Studies have shown that cardiovascular disease risk can be increased by 19% as a result of periodontal disease, and this relative risk rises to 44% for people that are 65 years and older. In an even more unfortunate condition, individuals with type 2 diabetes along with a severe form of periodontal disease are 3.2 times more likely to die than people with no or mild periodontitis. In terms of adverse pregnancy outcomes, we have linked periodontitis to preeclampsia (sudden rise in blood pressure in pregnant women), low birth weight, and preterm birth.

Which medical conditions are affected by periodontitis?

Cardiovascular disease

There are a variety of hypotheses that may explain the link between periodontal and cardiovascular disease. Research shows that the risk of cardiovascular disease may be raised by the systemic inflammatory or immunological response to periodontal infection. Moreover, oral bacteria can infiltrate atherosclerotic plaques through the bloodstream, which may trigger an inflammatory or immunological response within the plaque.

Generally, periodontitis or gum disease increases the body's burden of constantly fighting inflammation. Acute inflammation promotes healing in the near term by causing an influx of immune cells to combat irritants and microbial invaders. However, persistent or chronic inflammation is a major cause of many illnesses, particularly atherosclerosis.

Diabetes

Epidemiological data has already shown that diabetes is a major risk factor for periodontitis. People with diabetes are around three times more likely to develop periodontitis. Although the processes behind the connections between these two diseases are not fully known, they involve aspects of immune system functioning, neutrophil function, and cytokine biology.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes

The relationship between maternal periodontal disease and unfavorable pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, preeclampsia, and low birth weight, has received considerable research attention. Researchers believe that pathogenic processes that result in these negative effects are induced by hematogenous or blood transfer of bacteria or some pro-inflammatory molecules from sites of periodontal infection into the placenta, amniotic cavity, and fetal membranes.

Respiratory disease

A growing body of research demonstrates that oral diseases like periodontitis can impact the course of respiratory problems like bacterial pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aspiration pneumonia can result from the inhalation of periodontopathic bacteria from the mouth.

Generally, oral tissue becomes inflamed and irritated as a result of periodontal disease. The discomfort brought on by oral bacteria may also lead to lung lining inflammation, which would reduce the amount of air that can freely enter and exit the lungs.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis often have periodontal disease, which is thought to trigger an inflammatory response in such conditions. We believe that the fundamental pathogenic mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease are identical. Moreover, rheumatoid arthritis patients frequently experience tooth loss and alveolar bone damage, both of which are hallmarks of periodontal disease.

According to a review published in the Nature Reviews Rheumatology Journal, periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis are strongly connected, and periodontitis commonly precedes the emergence of rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, periodontitis corresponds with levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies in healthy individuals, which suggests that it could induce the autoimmune response that leads to rheumatoid arthritis.

Fighting periodontitis and improving your overall health

In addition to feeling and looking better with healthy teeth and gums, maintaining proper oral hygiene and dental health is crucial to overall health since your oral health is tied to other tissues, organs, and systems in your body. A typical example of an oral health problem that can affect many systems of the body is periodontitis or gum disease.

At first, periodontitis might seem just like a minor oral disease. But as it progresses, it has the potential to severely affect your overall health and can contribute to the progression of many systemic diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, respiratory disease, and cancer.

Given the host of problems it can inflict on your body, preventing and fighting it is relatively simple — it involves maintaining great oral hygiene — that’s all there is to prevent the buildup of plaque-causing bacteria in your mouth.

Some proper oral hygiene tips

Try as much as possible to brush your teeth twice every day using fluoride or hydroxyapatite toothpaste. You should also go for soft-bristles toothbrushes, as hard ones have the potential to damage your tooth enamel and gums.

Apart from regular toothbrushing, do not forget about flossing. Yes! Experts believe flossing is as important as toothbrushing because it can reach spaces between your teeth that the toothbrush alone cannot reach.

Also, don’t forget to brush your tongue. Unsurprisingly, the tongue can hold onto a lot of bacteria. So, when you neglect it, these bacteria can build up in your mouth and increase gum disease.

Look into the use of anti-bacterial mouthwashes that can help eliminate the possibility of plaque formation.

Lastly, always go for regular dental checkups, as they are the best tool for identifying and tackling any dental threat before it escalates.

Are you suffering from symptoms of inflammation and gum disease? Are you ready to begin the journey to improved oral health and decreased inflammation in your mouth and body? Call our biological dental office in Phoenix, Arizona. Our caring and supportive dental team will evaluate your condition. We will put together a complete treatment plan with allopathic, traditional dental therapies as well as holistic therapies. Our goal is to provide our patients with health-focused options that can achieve better oral health and maintain it for a lifetime.

Call today for a complete exam, oral cancer screening, and gum evaluation. Start your journey to oral health now!

Gum disease or periodontitis is the inflammation of the gums that is caused by plaque formation or bacterial buildup in the mouth. While it’s practically an oral disease, research-based findings have shown that it can contribute to the development of many systemic diseases like cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and diabetes in the body. Thankfully, your Innovative Dentistry hygienist is here to fight gum disease with you. At home, regular and proper oral hygiene can help prevent and even fight early periodontal disease.

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