Preventative Dentistry May Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, Pancreatic Cancer and Heart Disease
Announcement posted by eDental Perth 28 Aug 2015
Provider of dental health services in Perth reveals a hidden cause of Alzheimer’s disease, pancreatic cancer and heart disease.
Perth, WA, 28 August 2015 - For Perth dentists such as Dr Lisa Khokhlova, preventative dentistry and good dental hygiene are their own reward. But according to Dr Khokhlova, there are more benefits to good oral hygiene than having a clean, fresh mouth and a radiant smile.
In honour of the Australian Dental Association’s Dental Health Week 2015, celebrated 3-9 August, Dr Khokhlova recently published a summary of various studies from Canada, the US and the UK from 2007-2014 linking gum disease to Alzheimer’s disease, pancreatic cancer and heart disease.
How Gum Disease Affects Health
When someone has gum disease, the pathology extends further than just the gums. Gums with diseases such as periodontitis and gingivitis are storehouses for over 200 strains of harmful bacteria.
Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii
Known as S. sanguinis and S. gordonii, these bacteria can cause heart disease. These particular bacteria enter the bloodstream and gather blood platelets to protect them from the immune system and from antibiotics. These form clots which can be deadly. They can also form plaque on arterial walls.
A joint study in 2008 from the University of Bristol in the UK and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland found a statistical link between these two bacteria and heart disease.
Porphyromonas gingivalis
Porphyromonas gingivalis, known as P. gingivalis, was found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease sufferers but not in the brains of people who didn’t have Alzheimer’s, according to a 2013 study. The study was conducted at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. The damage to the brain, according to researchers, is caused not by the bacteria itself but by immune response to the bacteria once it reaches the brain.
Cognitive Function Tests Revisited
Researchers at New York University decided in 2010 to revisit data from 1944-1964 from a study conducted in Denmark. Statistically, people between 50 and 70 are nine times as likely to record low scores on testing for cognitive function.
Periodontitis and Pancreatic Cancer
A 2007 study at Harvard School of Public Health in the USA showed that people with periodontitis are 64% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those without it. The study revisited data from a Harvard study which began in 1986 and encompassed more than 51,000 men.
According to researches, evidence suggests that the culprit is nitrosamines, which are credited with providing a “friendly environment” for pancreatic cancer to develop.
How to Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
According to Dr Khokhlova, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene: “These studies prove beyond any doubt that a lack of oral hygiene can cause problems that transcend dental discomfort. In addition, that could be just the tip of the iceberg. We don’t really know the full consequences of a failure to maintain a state of good oral hygiene.”
Dr Khokhlova concluded, “It’s important to take control of your oral hygiene. It starts with a trip to the dentist: ASAP.”
eDental provides dental health services such as preventative dentistry and emergency dental services in Perth. They are an eco-friendly office where the entire staff is dedicated to finding solutions for their patients in a cost-effective and timely manner. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (08) 9361 1728 or visit their website: http://www.edentalperth.net.au/
In honour of the Australian Dental Association’s Dental Health Week 2015, celebrated 3-9 August, Dr Khokhlova recently published a summary of various studies from Canada, the US and the UK from 2007-2014 linking gum disease to Alzheimer’s disease, pancreatic cancer and heart disease.
How Gum Disease Affects Health
When someone has gum disease, the pathology extends further than just the gums. Gums with diseases such as periodontitis and gingivitis are storehouses for over 200 strains of harmful bacteria.
Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii
Known as S. sanguinis and S. gordonii, these bacteria can cause heart disease. These particular bacteria enter the bloodstream and gather blood platelets to protect them from the immune system and from antibiotics. These form clots which can be deadly. They can also form plaque on arterial walls.
A joint study in 2008 from the University of Bristol in the UK and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland found a statistical link between these two bacteria and heart disease.
Porphyromonas gingivalis
Porphyromonas gingivalis, known as P. gingivalis, was found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease sufferers but not in the brains of people who didn’t have Alzheimer’s, according to a 2013 study. The study was conducted at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. The damage to the brain, according to researchers, is caused not by the bacteria itself but by immune response to the bacteria once it reaches the brain.
Cognitive Function Tests Revisited
Researchers at New York University decided in 2010 to revisit data from 1944-1964 from a study conducted in Denmark. Statistically, people between 50 and 70 are nine times as likely to record low scores on testing for cognitive function.
Periodontitis and Pancreatic Cancer
A 2007 study at Harvard School of Public Health in the USA showed that people with periodontitis are 64% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those without it. The study revisited data from a Harvard study which began in 1986 and encompassed more than 51,000 men.
According to researches, evidence suggests that the culprit is nitrosamines, which are credited with providing a “friendly environment” for pancreatic cancer to develop.
How to Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
According to Dr Khokhlova, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene: “These studies prove beyond any doubt that a lack of oral hygiene can cause problems that transcend dental discomfort. In addition, that could be just the tip of the iceberg. We don’t really know the full consequences of a failure to maintain a state of good oral hygiene.”
Dr Khokhlova concluded, “It’s important to take control of your oral hygiene. It starts with a trip to the dentist: ASAP.”
eDental provides dental health services such as preventative dentistry and emergency dental services in Perth. They are an eco-friendly office where the entire staff is dedicated to finding solutions for their patients in a cost-effective and timely manner. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (08) 9361 1728 or visit their website: http://www.edentalperth.net.au/