Get your teeth into health

Studies offer conclusive proof that healthy teeth spells good general health!

Been to the dentist lately? No? Well, maybe you should do a quick rethink of the importance of dental health. Time was when going to the dentist was all about taking care of your teeth,
and ensuring that you have a full set of pearly whites into your eighties and beyond.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some information on the importance of good dental hygiene and how it can improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Research conducted over several years now clearly indicates that the health and cleanliness of your teeth could play a critical role in the health of your whole body - and in making it possible to live until you are well into your nineties. A couple of landmark studies done have shown a clear connection between poor dental health and heart attacks, strokes, and miscarriages in pregnant women.

Some years ago Professor Mark Herzberg of the preventive medicine unit at the University of Minnesota, showed, in a series of experiments, that certain bacteria present in dental plaque cause blood platelets to clot.  If these bacteria are released into the bloodstream, they could easily trigger a thrombosis, the clotting which creates the perfect conditions for a heart attack or stroke.

The worst offender, according to Professor Herzberg, is the bacterium streptococcus sangius that is found in enormous numbers in the mouth - it's the most common of all the microorganisms found there. And when people have a lot of plaque on their teeth, the numbers are very much bigger. "We know a lot about the risk factors for arterial sclerosis and heart attacks," says Professor Herzberg, "but nothing about the triggers".  It seems they may have found one trigger in a place where no one would think to look - in your mouth.

So there is a strong incentive to brush and floss regularly, right there. Does that mean you have to bite the bullet and visit your dentist? Yes indeed! These bacteria are released into the bloodstream, where they do damage, through exposed tooth necks or the soft gums that are symptomatic of periodontal disease.

More than heart disease once they are in the bloodstream, the bacteria can cause havoc in the body. Not only do they trigger the formation of blood clots, but they can also cause spontaneous miscarriage, it seems. Pregnant women who neglect their dental care are prone to have more miscarriages - and pregnant women have a natural tendency to develop the softening of the gums that opens the gates to the bloodstream for these bacteria.
 
There are other worrying connections that are being made by scientists. Evidently smokers with dental plaque run a much higher risk of getting lung disease than smokers who have clean, cared-for teeth - and the lung disease is likely to be chronic, or long-lasting. Another, and different factor that could affect your general health is if you have what they call a poor "bite" (badly aligned teeth) - or a nervous tendency to grit or grind your teeth. People with these problems can end up with chronic neck and shoulder pain, or bad headaches, and never make the connection to their teeth. So if you have similar problems, it might be worth a trip to the dentist to find out if they can be solved in the chair.

For some people, however, even the threat of a deadly disease is not enough incentive to head for the dentist's chair.   Perhaps you had a bad experience as a child, or just don't like the idea of that dental drill. Bear in mind that most dental procedures are now so sophisticated that there should be no need to suffer anything more than a little discomfort when you go to the dentist - real pain is a thing of the past.  

Dentists are also not sadists - they have no wish to inflict pain. So chat to your dentist about your fears and worries. He or she will probably be quite willing to work out a system of sign language that will enable you to feel in control, because you can indicate, at any point, that you want him to stop what he's doing RIGHT NOW!

Practise slow breathing throughout the procedure, dissociate your mind from your mouth by visualising or even daydreaming, and you should be able to sail through your appointment.

Sources:
Dental disease as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Meyer MW, Gong K, Herzberg MC, www.bracesinfo.com/cardiovascular.htm
Genome of the Opportunistic Pathogen Streptococcus sanguinisby ukpmc.ac.uk › Journal List › J Bacterial › v.189(8); Apr 2007
Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease by R GENCO - 2002 Herzberg MC, Meyer MW. Effects of oral flora on platelets: possible consequences in cardiovascular disease adajournal.com/cgi/content/full/133/suppl_1/14S
Two strains from the Streptococcus sanguis group (SSG), The difference, jmm.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/40/2/110.pdf - Similar