American Academy of Oral Systemic Health

Our very own Annie recently attended the 1st Annual meeting of the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health in Chicago and is a founding member of the organization. Our team is very passionate about the oral systemic link between periodontal health and whole body health. Attendees at the meeting included physicians, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists and cardiologists. The mission of the conference was to present the most recent research on the links among periodontal disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and the most effective ways of treating these disorders.

According to the CDC, Heart Disease is still the number one cause of death, and stroke was ranked third. Diabetes is expected to be one of the fastest growing diseases in America over the next few decades. The good news is that because of medical research and new diagnostic techniques, there has been a paradigm shift from treatment of late stage disease to the prevention or early detection. It starts with risk assessment. Gum disease can increase your risk of a cardiovascular event by 13 times depending on the specific bacteria that are present in your mouth. With the new salivary diagnostic test available to dentists, we are able to identify and measure the bacteria that can cause this inflammatory response in our patients. Some adverse effects of bleeding and inflamed gums can be an increase in: blood pressure, LDL – Your BAD cholesterol (and lower HDL – GOOD cholesterol), lipids and certain inflammation enzymes like C-reactive protein and Lp-Pla2. When the gums are treated successfully all of these health markers improve. They are directly related!

For diabetic patients, the same research results apply. Gum disease (gingivitis and periodontal disease) directly affects the blood sugars and will raise the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). We have many diabetic patients who have been able to reduce their daily dose of insulin as a result of treating their gum infections.

Medical research available today has made it abundantly clear there is a direct link between oral disease and other systemic diseases and medical conditions. Now that you are aware of this connection be proactive in ensuring your total body health. Contact us at (703) 565-2503 and schedule an appointment for oral salivary testing today.