Mouth and health go hand in hand. After all, the mouth is the entrance gate of our body. Food goes in there and our teeth are the tools to chew this food so that the food ingredients necessary for us can also be released effectively.
Infections in the mouth therefore have a huge impact on the rest of our general health. After all, by chewing the bacteria present are continuously pressed into our bloodstream. Firstly, they then move through the body, but secondly, they cause damage in other places.
Thousands of scientific articles have now been published about this, but this phenomenon is still insufficiently known to the general public and even to many doctors.
Infections
Periodontal disease is the biggest culprit here. This infection is accompanied by large amounts of very pathogenic bacteria. But root tip inflammations also play the same role. We must therefore diagnose both problems at an early stage and then treat them as soon as possible.
Consequences
Below is a comprehensive overview of the known impact of oral infections on general health. However, because periodontitis and root tip infections do not always cause pain, we are often not aware of the underlying problems and the resulting consequences!
HEART
Periodontal disease increases the risk of a heart attack twice. There is even 3x more chance of a stroke or TIA. In addition, existing heart problems worsen in the presence of mouth infections.
DIABETES
Periodontal disease + diabetes together increase the risk of premature death by 400 to 700x. More than 90% of periodontal disease patients are also at risk of diabetes.
ALZHEIMER
Tooth loss due to periodontal disease increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. Mouth bacteria increase the production of amyloid beta, which is found in Alzheimer’s brain damage.
ARTHEROSCLEROSIS
Mouth bacteria that end up in the bloodstream increase the production of c-reactive proteins, which subsequently contribute to the increase of atherosclerosis.
BREATHING
Poor oral hygiene increases the risk of pneumonia, COPD and also lung abscesses. It has also been shown to be associated with the severity of Covid-19 infections.
RHEUMA
These 2 diseases are strongly linked. The more severe the periodontitis, the more severe the rheumatism. Specific mouth bacteria are therefore responsible for this.
PREGNANCY
The best-known link: pregnant women with periodontal disease usually have premature births and children with a low birth weight. They also show more tooth loss in pregnancy.
KIDNEY DISEASES
The combination of periodontal disease and kidney disease leads to increased mortality due to the increase in the total inflammatory burden.
ERECTION PROBLEMS
Periodontal disease is also associated with all kinds of vascular complications in the body. For example, it has been shown that erection problems also occur in severe periodontal disease.
CANCER
Specific periodontal disease bacteria are also associated with certain types of cancers, such as pancreatic cancer and especially colon cancer.
Solutions
So prevention is better than cure. Therefore, have your gums checked and also have a large overview X-ray taken regularly to get a picture of the whole situation.
When in doubt, feel free to make an appointment with us directly, you do not need a referral.