Underestimated caries and gum disease not only lead to tooth loss. They ruin your he alth - they cause headaches and sinus pains, increase the risk of diabetes, kidney and joint problems, and even a heart attack.
Cariesandgum diseaseis a he alth problem for all Poles - 99 percent of us have caries and 98 percent suffer from periodontitis in different stages of advancement. According to the research conducted as part of the "Oral He alth Monitoring" program (2010-2012), caries is 99 percent. Poles aged 35-44 (in the Scandinavian countries only 15 percent), and among 65-74-year-olds nearly 44 percent. is completely toothless!
Statistics show that half of us brush our teeth twice a day, a large percentage only brush our teeth once a day, and one in ten people do not brush their teeth at all.
Periodontal disease is also a huge problem - as shown by the Perio-Kardio research from 2012, carried out by periodontists and cardiologists from the Medical University of Warsaw, as much as 98 percent. Poles have varying degrees of periodontitis, and 18.5 percent. periodontal disease (parodontosis) is already advanced. All these figures are frightening given the growing awareness of oral he alth. However, it is not only about her.
Can caries be a fatal disease?
In a favorable situation, caries and periodontal diseases may lead to the patient's death. There are 300-400 species of bacteria in the mouth. Most of them do not hurt us, but some can cause serious problems, incl. when we improperly care for oral hygiene. The most dangerous are bacteria that destroy teeth and microorganisms in the diseased periodontal structures (tissues surrounding the teeth, including the gums). And neglected caries and periodontal diseases become a source of infection for the entire body. The bacteria are transported through the blood to distant parts of the body, which can cause inflammation in places distant from the oral cavity, such as the lungs, joints, optic nerve, kidneys and endocardium. The immune response of the organism initiated in this way, aimed at removing inflammation, may also damage the host tissues, misidentify them and, consequently, irreversibly damage them. InIn extreme cases, inflammatory periodontitis can cause serious diseases such as sepsis or meningitis.
Sick teeth and gums and the risk of diabetes
Scientists from Columbia University after 20-year observations of 9,000 of people concluded that those with periodontal disease developed type 2 diabetes more often than those who had he althy gums or treated periodontitis. This is also confirmed by the research of German scientists on the impact of periodontitis on the entire body. Researchers noted that periodontitis contributed to diabetes, regardless of other factors, and that blood glucose levels dropped significantly after treatment of periodontal disease. Diabetes itself, having a negative impact on blood vessels, predisposes to the development of gingivitis and periodontitis. In addition, diabetics who have periodontal disease do not respond poorly to antidiabetic treatment.
ImportantCaries and gingivitis dangerous for pregnant women
Pregnant women should visit the dentist at least once every 3 months, because the poor condition of the teeth and gums is a threat to the fetus. Periodontal diseases, which expectant mothers are particularly susceptible to, can lead to premature births and low birth weight. In addition, if the mother-to-be vomits frequently, the teeth are exposed to stomach acid, which destroys the enamel, which makes them susceptible to decay and sensitivity.
Bad bite affects frequent headaches
Almost 80 percent malocclusion occurs in the first years of our life. Careless parents do not even realize how often they contribute to it themselves. They unnecessarily stuff their pacifiers in their mouths, treating them as a calming plug, feed them too long with a bottle instead of a teaspoon, give babies to eat in a supine or reclining position, which causes the mandible to be backward, and the temporomandibular joints and muscle ligaments cannot withstand this . With age, the malocclusion worsens and, as adults, we suffer from headaches caused by improper positioning of the jaw in relation to the mandible and overload of the temporomandibular joint. To avoid this, you need to take care of a good bite.
Caries can damage joints
Once the bacteria have established themselves in the tooth, the enzymes and toxins they secrete can travel through the blood vessels through the body. They reach, among others to the joints. When attacked, they cause painful inflammation. They can even result in permanent damage to the joints. To walk efficiently, don't get holes in your teeth.
Caries can cause sinus inflammation
Right above the jaw bone there are so-called maxillary sinuses. When drilling a tooth, especially during root canal treatment, the dentist must be very careful not to break into them. Fortunately, such accidents at work are extremely rare, but it is not so rare that the maxillary sinuses become inflamed as a result of deep caries in one of the upper teeth. Bacteria that multiply in neglected humus easily reach the neighboring bays. Whoever wants to avoid this, must visit the dentist every six months in order not to overlook carious lesions.
Sick teeth contribute to the formation of peptic ulcer disease
If we have large gaps in our teeth or if our teeth hurt when we eat, we commit a terrible sin: we eat like a duck, i.e. by swallowing large bites. On the other hand, when we chew each bitten piece of food well, the digestive process begins in the mouth and the stomach has a lighter work. When large bites reach it - the food stays longer and has to be digested by a larger amount of gastric juice. The juice includes, among others hydrochloric acid, which, when in excess, promotes the formation of stomach ulcers. So if you want to avoid the painful bouts of peptic ulcer disease, save your full set of teeth.
Sick teeth can contribute to serious heart diseases
A strong relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease has been proven. Active periodontitis accelerates the deposition of atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessels (it has been shown to contain the same bacteria that are present in the mouth), which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. As shown by the results of the Perio-Kardio study, among patients after a recent heart attack (2-3 days after the incident), with an average age of 55 years, there were no people with he althy periodontium. About 40 percent had advanced periodontal disease. heart attackers. Inflammatory diseases of the tissues surrounding the teeth are extremely dangerous for people who already have heart disease, as they can lead to bacterial endocarditis or heart valves.
Inflammation of the tonsils and throat is a result of a streptococcal infection
This is an inflammation of the palatine tonsils and the surrounding soft tissues of the throat. It is commonly believed that this condition is caused by a cold in these areas (drinking ice-cold water quickly or eating ice cream in hot weather). But it is not the cold that causes inflammation (it only causes a local decline in immunity), but the bacteria - mainly streptococci. They often come from a broken and untreated tooth. So if you like drinking cold drinks, take special care of your teeth.
Limescale (plaque) and tooth decay make it stalebreath
If we do not brush our teeth at least twice a day, plaque begins to build up on them and bacteria multiply in it. They not only damage the teeth and gums, but they also rage in the remains of food left between the teeth. They break down the leftovers, and the effect of this work is … foul. If you don't want others to turn their heads while talking to you, grind your teeth and regularly remove tartar at the dentist's.
Sick teeth can damage kidneys
They work hard to cleanse the blood of waste products. Unfortunately, toxins also reach them. And they reach the kidneys from various sources in the body - including diseased teeth. These toxins can damage the kidneys so effectively that they cease to function as an efficient filter. In order not to endanger them - do not get caries.
Tartar contributes to periodontitis
If you don't remove plaque every 6-12 months in your dentist's office, it will build up and harden until it turns to limescale. This one will tear under the gums, creating the so-called pockets. As they deepen, the gum moves away from the tooth and contracts. Under the influence of the stone layer, the tooth necks are exposed. This is periodontitis - a disease that leads to the loosening of teeth and the loss of them. If you want all your teeth in a row, take care of your gums as well.
ImportantCaries and periodontitis and dementia
According to a study by scientists in the UK a few years ago, toothless seniors were three times more likely to develop dementia than their peers with some or all of their teeth. Researchers speculated that this was related to inflammation (resulting in tooth loss), which may negatively affect the brain, and a change in diet due to missing teeth - deficiencies in important nutrients have a negative impact on the work of the nervous system. This leads to the hypothesis that there is a link between the loss of the ability to chew hard food and the loss of cognition that characterizes Alzheimer's disease.
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