Chaparral Village Dental & Orthodontics
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27287 Nicolas Road Suite 104, Temecula, CA 92591
951-676-7200
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Arthritis Patients May Be at Higher Risk for Gum Disease
| Posted on May 21, 2013 at 2:51 AM |
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Results of a study suggesting the risk for gum disease is higher for people with rheumatoid arthritis was recently published online in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The goal of the small study was “to find the strength of association between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in nonsmoking, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug naive RA patients in a case-control design,” the authors wrote. The researchers compared 91 adults with RA to 93 health control subjects. All study participants were nonsmokers, since smoking is a known risk factor for RA, and had not been treated with arthritis drugs. Demographic data and disease-specific variables were recorded for both groups, the authors reported. Disease activity was quantified using a specific score and by measuring levels of inflammatory markers. Nearly 65 percent of patients with RA had evidence of gum disease, compared with 28 percent of their healthy peers. “Gum disease is more common and severe in rheumatoid arthritis patients than in healthy controls ... and could be a potential environmental trigger in the [development] and also in the maintenance of systemic inflammation in [the disease],” the study authors concluded. Although the study found an association between RA and the prevalence of gum disease, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 71(9):1541–4. |
Poor Oral Hygiene Linked to Higher Cancer Risk?
| Posted on December 27, 2012 at 1:29 AM |
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An observational Swedish study has revealed that out of almost 1400
people studied between 1985 and 2009 where 35 of the participants died
of cancer, the cancer patients had higher levels of dental plaque than the survivors, as reported by Time.com. The researchers at the Karolinska Institute and the University of
Helsinki revealed that participants in the study with high levels of
dental plaque were 80% more likely to die prematurely of cancer during
the 24-year study period than people with little to no dental plaque. According to the Austrailian News, the study authors wrote, “Our
study hypothesis was confirmed by the finding that poor [mouth] hygiene,
as reflected in the amount of dental plaque, was associated with
increased cancer mortality.” The reasearchers have not determined that bad oral hygiene
actually causes cancer, but state that what they found was only
observational. But they warn that plaque could be a contributing factor
in people with existing genetic predispositions to cancer. “We don’t know if dental plaque could be a real causal part of cancer,” lead author Birgitta Soder of the department of dental sciences at the Karolinska Institute tells Time.com. “But it is a little scary to see that something we all have in our mouths can play such a role.” |
Why Gum Disease Is More Common With Old Age
| Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:53 AM |
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Why Gum Disease Is More Common With Old Age New research from Queen Mary, University of London, in collaboration with research groups in the United States, may elucidate the reasons behind deteriorating gums as we age. According to the study, published in Nature Immunology, the worsening of gum health, common with aging, is associated with a drop in the level of a chemical called Del-1. In the study’s abstract, authors wrote that aging is “linked to greater susceptibility to chronic inflammatory diseases, several of which, including periodontitis, involve neutrophil-mediated tissue injury.” The authors reported finding that “agingassociated periodontitis was accompanied by lower expression of Del-1, an endogenous inhibitor of neutrophil adhesion dependent on the integrin LFA-1.” According to a news release from the university, authors believe understanding more about Del-1 and its effects on the body’s immune system could help in the treatment or prevention of serious gum disease. The study compared gum disease in young and old mice and found that an increase in gum disease in the older animals was accompanied by a drop in the level of Del-1, a protein known to restrain the immune system by stopping white blood cells from sticking to and attacking mouth tissue. Mice that had no Del-1 developed severe gum disease and elevated bone loss, and researchers found unusually high levels of white blood cells in the gum tissue, the news release said. When they treated the gums of the mice with Del-1, the number of white blood cells dropped, and gum disease and bone loss were reduced. Source: Published online March 25, 2012, Nature Immunology. |
Tooth Scaling Associated With Decreased Cardiovascular Disease
| Posted on November 1, 2012 at 10:13 PM |
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Tooth Scaling Associated With Decreased Cardiovascular Disease Recent study results showed an association between regular tooth scaling and a decreased risk of future cardiovascular events. “Poor oral hygiene has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” authors of the study wrote. “However, the association between preventive dentistry and cardiovascular risk reduction has remained undetermined.” Using a nationwide, population-based study and a prospective cohort design, the research team aimed to “investigate the association between tooth scaling and the risk of cardiovascular events.” H-B. Leu, MD, of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and colleagues selected participants aged at least 50 years from the nationally representative Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Authors of the study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, used 10,887 subjects who had received full-mouth or localized tooth scaling and compared them to 10,989 subjects who had not received any tooth scaling. The group of participants exposed to the scaling was then propensity-score matched to the nonexposed group. After following the subjects for an average period of seven years, the authors reported finding that the group that had undergone tooth scaling had a lower incidence of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and total cardiovascular events. “Furthermore, when compared with the nonexposed group, increasing frequency of tooth scaling correlated with a higher risk reduction of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and total cardiovascular events,” authors wrote. |
Fish fights gum disease
| Posted on July 2, 2012 at 3:32 AM |
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A diet full of fish and nuts goes a long way to protect people from gum disease, as indicated by a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The research has suggested that polyunsaturated fatty acids found in
foods such as fatty fish and nuts will help keep people’s smiles healthy
as it has been shown to help lower the risks of gum disease. The study
examined the diets of 182 adults during the years of 1999 to 2004 and
found that those who consumed the highest amounts of fatty acids were
30% less likely to develop gingivitis and 20% less likely to develop
periodontitis. Lead researcher Dr. Asghar Z. Naqvi of Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston, Mass, said, “We found that n-3
[omega-3] fatty acid intake, particularly docosahexaenoic acid and
eicosapentaenoic acid are inversely associated with periodontitis in the
US population. To date, the treatment of periodontitis has primarily
involved mechanical cleaning and local antibiotic application. A dietary
therapy, if effective, might be a less expensive and safer method for
the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.” The following statement
was issued by chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation,
Dr. Nigel Carter: “This study shows that a small and relatively easy
change in people’s diet can massively improve the condition of their
teeth and gums, which in turn can improve their overall wellbeing.”
(Source: British Health Foundation news release, November 8, 2010)
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Risk of stroke, heart attack reduced by professional dental cleanings
| Posted on April 27, 2012 at 2:36 PM |
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In a study from Taiwan and presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer strokes and heart attacks. Of those 100,000 people who had their teeth scraped and cleaned by a dentist or dental hygienist, 24 percent had a lower risk of heart attack and 13 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who never had a dental cleaning. The participants were followed for an average of seven years. "Protection from heart disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who got tooth scaling at least once a year," said Emily Chen, MD, cardiology fellow at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, who coauthored the study with Hsin-Bang Leu, MD. If tooth scaling occurred at least twice or more in two years, scientists considered it "frequent"; "Occasional" if it occurred once or less in two years. The study included more that 51,000 adults who had received at least one full or partial tooth scaling and a similar number of people matched with gender and health conditions who had no tooth scaling, according to a news release in Science Daily. None of the participants had a history of heart attack or stroke at the beginning of the study. Additionally, researchers did not adjust for risk factors for heart attack and stroke,m such as whether they were smokers, their race, or weight. Chen said professional tooth scaling appeared to reduce inflammation-causing bacterial growth that could lead to heart disease or stroke. Journal of the California Dental Association, March 2012. |
Inflammation key to understanding periodontal disease
| Posted on April 2, 2012 at 3:15 AM |
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In the quest to better understand the causes
of periodontal disease, researchers are making big strides on two key
fronts: understanding the nature of the bacteria that stimulate gingival
inflammation, and the genetic and physiologic foundations that can
determine the body's response to that stimulus. Read more |
The link between periodontitis and systemic diseases
| Posted on March 11, 2012 at 11:53 PM |
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After more than three decades spent
exploring the connections between periodontal disease and other diseases
and health conditions, Robert Genco, DDS, PhD, believes he's got the
big picture. Read more |
Gum Disease May Connect to Prostate Health
| Posted on August 11, 2011 at 12:34 AM |
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Recently, researchers examined 35 men with prostate inflammation. They found that the men with the most severe prostatitis also showed signs of periodontal disease. Periodontitis
has been linked to other health problems, including heart disease and
diabetes, so researchers suspected a possible connection to prostate
disease as well. This study compared levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) an
indicator of prostate disease with the clinical attachment level (CAL)
of the teeth and gums and teeth indicating possible gum disease. The research about prostate health and gingivitis was conducted by periodontists at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and has been published in the Journal of Periodontology. This finding supports the belief that oral health and whole-body health are deeply connected. Gum health problems not just full-blown periodontal disease, but the bleeding gums, swollen gums or receding gums that can indicate gum disease can indicate the presence of other inflammatory issues. |
what is Periodontal (Gum) Disease
| Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:55 AM |
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Periodontal diseases, including gingivitis
and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead
to tooth loss. The word periodontal literally means 'around the tooth'.
Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the
gums and bone supporting the teeth. It is estimated that over 80%
adults have periodontal diseases, which is also linked to many
systematic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc. Periodontal
disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. It begins when the bacteria
in plaque (the sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your
teeth) cause the gums to become inflamed.You may be at risk of gum disease if you answer yes to any of the following questions:
In
the mildest form of the disease, gingivitis, the gums redden, swell and
bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort. Gingivitis is
often caused by inadequate oral hygiene. Gingivitis is reversible with
professional treatment and good oral home care. |