Gum Disease: Linked to Health Risks!!!!

I Had No Idea Periodontal Disease Is Linked to…

You may have seen stories in the news about the connection between periodontal disease and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. However, those aren’t the only health conditions that are related to periodontal disease. Research has shown that having periodontal disease can put you at risk for a few surprising conditions including rheumatoid arthritis,
certain cancers, and even kidney disease.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Over 1.3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, inflammatory disease of the joints that can lead to longterm joint damage. A study published in the Journal of Periodontology uncovered yet another potential side effect of RA;
researchers discovered that patients with RA are eight times more likely to have periodontal
disease than those without RA. However, the research indicates that poor oral hygiene alone did not account for the connection between RA and gum disease,
which means that other factors play a role as well. Both RA and gum disease are systemic
inflammatory disorders which may explain the connection between the two.

Cancers
Men are especially at risk for developing certain cancers if they have periodontal disease. Research published in The Lancet Oncology found that men with a history of
gum disease are 14 percent more likely to develop cancer than men with healthy gums. In fact, researchers discovered that men with periodontal disease are 49 percent more likely to develop kidney cancer, 54 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer,
and 30 percent more likely to develop blood cancers.

Kidney Disease
A study published in the Journal of Periodontology suggests that toothless adults may be more likely to have chronic kidney disease than adults with all of their teeth. Untreated periodontal disease can lead to bone loss around teeth, which can then cause teeth to loosen and fall out. Periodontal disease is a leading cause of tooth loss in adults. In the study, the lack of teeth was found to be significantly associated with chronic kidney disease. The two diseases may be connected by chronic inflammation, as both are
considered inflammatory conditions.

To help protect yourself from these health conditions, including periodontal disease, make sure to brush your teeth twice each day, floss at least once each day, and see a dental professional for cleanings twice each year. If periodontal disease develops, a consultation with a dentist or periodontist may lead to effective treatment. The key to a healthy body may start with a healthy mouth!

Are you at risk for periodontal disease?

Your risk for periodontal disease may increase depending on:
• Your age
• Gender
• Bleeding gums
• Tobacco use
• Family history of gum disease
To find out if you may be at risk, take the American Academy of
Periodontology’s risk assessment at http://perio.org/consumer/4a.html. The
assessment will let you know if you are at low, moderate, or high
risk for periodontal disease. Your periodontist will be happy to
discuss your results with you.

How Marijuana Effects Your Gums

Pot Smokers Have More Gum Disease

A long-term study of approximately 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to the age of 38 has found that people who have smoked marijuana for up to 20 years have more gum disease but otherwise do not show worse physical health than nonsmokers.

The researchers assessed a dozen measures of physical health, including lung function, systemic inflammation, and several indicators of metabolic syndrome, including waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glucose control, and body mass index.

Tobacco users were found to have gum disease as well as reduced lung function, systemic inflammation, and indicators of poorer metabolic health.

“We can see the physical health effects of tobacco smoking in this study, but we don’t see similar effects for cannabis smoking,” said Madeline Meier, an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University and one of the authors of the study.

While study participants who had used marijuana to some degree during the past 20 years showed an increase in periodontal disease from the ages of 26 to 38 years, they did not differ from nonusers on any of the other physical health measures.

Statistical analysis also revealed that the decline in periodontal health among pot smokers was not explained by tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, or poor brushing and flossing habits. Their lack of physical health problems also wasn’t attributable to having better health to begin with or living healthier lifestyles.

“We don’t want people to think, ‘Hey, marijuana can’t hurt me,’ because other studies on this same sample of New Zealanders have shown that marijuana use is associated with increased risk of psychotic illness, IQ decline, and downward socioeconomic mobility,” Meier said.

“We need to recognize that heavy recreational cannabis use does have some adverse consequences, but overall damage to physical health is not apparent in this study,” said study coauthor Avshalom Caspi, the Edward M. Arnett professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University.

“Physicians should certainly explain to their patients that long-term marijuana use can put them at risk for losing some teeth,” said Terrie Moffitt, the Nannerl O. Keohane University professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke and co-director of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, which collected the data.

The study, “Associations Between Cannabis Use and Physical Health Problems in Early Midlife: A Longitudinal Comparison of Persistent Cannabis Vs. Tobacco Uses,” was published by JAMA Psychiatry.

 03 Jun 2016  Dentistry Today 

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SUGAR and YOUR HEALTH: What you NEED to know

10 Ways Sugar Harms Your Health

1. Sugar causes blood glucose to spike and plummet.
Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. Cravings set the stage for a cycle of addiction in which every new hit of sugar makes you feel better temporarily but, a few hours later, results in more cravings and hunger. On the flip side, those who avoid sugar often report having little or no cravings for sugary things and feeling emotionally balanced and energized.

2. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Large-scale studies have shown that the more high-glycemic foods (those that quickly affect blood sugar), including foods containing sugar, a person consumes, the higher his risk for becoming obese and for developing diabetes and heart disease (1). Emerging research is also suggesting connections between high-glycemic diets and many different forms of cancer (2,3,4).

3. Sugar interferes with immune function.
Research on human subjects is scant, but animal studies have shown that sugar suppresses immune response (5). More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms; however, we do know that bacteria and yeast feed on sugar and that, when these organisms get out of balance in the body, infections and illness are more likely.

4. A high-sugar diet often results in chromium deficiency.
It's sort of a catch-22. If you consume a lot of sugar and other refined carbohydrates, you probably don't get enough of the trace mineral chromium, and one of chromium's main functions is to help regulate blood sugar. Scientists estimate that 90 percent of Americans don't get enough chromium. Chromium is found in a variety of animal foods, seafood and plant foods. Refining starches and other carbohydrates rob these foods of their chromium supplies. (6)

5. Sugar accelerates aging.
It even contributes to that telltale sign of aging: sagging skin. Some of the sugar you consume, after hitting your bloodstream, ends up attaching itself to proteins, in a process called glycation. These new molecular structures contribute to the loss of elasticity found in aging body tissues, from your skin to your organs and arteries (7). The more sugar circulating in your blood, the faster this damage takes hold.

6. Sugar causes tooth decay.
With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, it creates decay more efficiently than any other food substance (8). For a strong visual reminder, next time the Tooth Fairy visits, try the old tooth-in-a-glass-of-Coke experiment—the results will surely convince you that sugar isn't good for your pearly whites.

7. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can lead to heart disease.
Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, such as those that result from periodontal problems, play a role in the development of coronary artery disease (9). The most popular theory is that the connection is related to widespread effects from the body's inflammatory response to infection.

8. Sugar affects behavior and cognition in children.
Though it has been confirmed by millions of parents, most researchers have not been able to show the effect of sugar on children's behavior. A possible problem with the research is that most of it compared the effects of a sugar-sweetened drink to one containing an artificial sweetener (10). It may be that kids react to both real sugar and sugar substitutes, therefore showing no differences in behavior.
What about kids' ability to learn? Between 1979 and 1983, 803 New York City public schools reduced the amount of sucrose (table sugar) and eliminated artificial colors, flavors and two preservatives from school lunches and breakfasts. The diet policy changes were followed by a 15.7 percent increase in a national academic ranking (previously, the greatest improvement ever seen had been 1.7 percent)(11).

9. Sugar increases stress.
When we're under stress, our stress hormone levels rise; these chemicals are the body's fight-or-flight emergency crew, sent out to prepare the body for an attack or an escape. These chemicals are also called into action when blood sugar is low. For example, after a blood-sugar spike (say, from eating a piece of birthday cake), there's a compensatory dive, which causes the body to release stress hormones such as adrenaline, epinephrine and cortisol. One of the main things these hormones do is raise blood sugar, providing the body with a quick energy boost. The problem is, these helpful hormones can make us feel anxious, irritable and shaky.

10. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients.                                            According to USDA data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients––especially vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron. Ironically, those who consume the most sugar are children and teenagers, the individuals who need these nutrients most (12).

Slashing Sugar

Now that you know the negative impacts refined sugar can have on your body and mind, you'll want to be more careful about the foods you choose. And the first step is getting educated about where sugar lurks—believe it or not, a food needn't even taste all that sweet for it to be loaded with sugar. When it comes to convenience and packaged foods, let the ingredients label be your guide, and be aware that just because something boasts that it is low in carbs or a “diet" food, doesn't mean it's free of sugar. Atkins products never contain added sugar.

Selected References

1. Bell, S.J., Sears, B., “Low-glycemic-load diets: impact on obesity and chronic diseases." Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, 43(4), 2003, pages 357-77.

2. Michaud, D.S., Liu, S., Giovannucci, E., et al., “Dietary Sugar, Glycemic Load, and Pancreatic Cancer Risk in a Prospective Study." Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 94(17), 2002, pages 1293-1300.

3. Romieu, I., Lazcano-Ponce, E., Sanchez-Zamorano, L.M., et al., “Carbohydrates and the Risk of Breast Cancer Among Mexican Women." Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers Preview, 13(8), 2004, pages 1283-1289.

4. Franceschi, S., Dal Maso, L., Augustin, L., et al., “Dietary Glycemic Load and Colorectal Cancer Risk." Annals of Oncology, 12(2), 2001, pages 173-178.

5. Nutter, R.L., Gridley, D.S., Kettering, J.D., et al., “Modification of a transplantable colon tumor and immune responses in mice fed different sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate." Cancer Letters, 18(1), 1983, pages 49-62.

6. “Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc." Institute of Medicine, Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 2001.

7. Sensi, M., Pricci, F., Andreani, D., et al., “Advanced Nonenzymatic Glycation Endproducts (AGE): Their Relevance to Aging and the Pathogenesis of Late Diabetic Complications." Diabetes Research, 16(1), 1991, pages 1-9.

8. "Dental Caries and Its Complications: Tooth Decay." In The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, edited by Robert Berkow, et al. Rahway, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 1992.

9. Geerts, S.O., Legrand, V., Charpentier, J., et al. “Further evidence of the association between periodontal conditions and coronary artery disease." Journal of Periodontology, 75(9), 2004, pages 1274-80.

10. Wolraich, M.L., Wilson, D.B., White, J.W, “The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children. A meta-analysis." JAMA, 274 (20), 1995, pages 1617-21.

11. Schoenthaler, S.J., Doraz, W.E., Wakefield, J.A., “The Impact of a Low Food Additive and Sucrose Diet on Academic Performance in 803 New York City Public Schools." International Journal of Biosocial Research, 8(2), 1986, pages 185-195.

12. Bowman, S.A., “Diets of Individuals Based on Energy Intakes From Added Sugars." Family Economics and Nutrition Review, 12(2), 1999, pages 31-38.