Periodontal Gum Disease and Smoking

Smokers should know the dangers of tobacco use. Researches
also have found that the following problems occur more
often in people who use tobacco products: Bad breath, oral
cancer, stained teeth, tooth loss, loss of taste, bone
loss, gum recession, mouth soars and facial wrinkling. The
research also indicates that there is less success with
periodontal treatments and dental implants.

There are also other medical problems associated with
smoking including lung disease, cancer, heart disease and
low-birth-weight infants.

If you are a smoker who is concerned about the effects
smoking can have on your health, and on your gums and teeth
in particular, at least by reading this article you are
learning all the negative impacts of tobacco use, and you
are taking the first step toward quitting.

According to the American Academy of Periodontology recent
studies have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most
significant risk factors in the development and progression
of periodontal disease. And following periodontal treatment
or any oral surgery, the chemicals in tobacco can slow down
the healing process. This makes treatment results less
predictable.

Here are some of the ways that one Los Angeles dentist who
specializes in periodontal gum disease and oral implants
believes smoking increases your risk for periodontal
problems. "Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to have
calculus, otherwise known as plaque, which hardens on the
teeth," said Dr. Bijan Afar. "When calculus is not removed
it often remains below your gum line, and the bacteria in
the calculus can destroy your gum tissue and cause gums to
pull away from your teeth."

Smokers are also more apt to get deep pockets between the
teeth and gums and they also have loss of the bone and
tissue that supports teeth. Periodontal disease progresses
when these pockets between the teeth and gums grow deeper,
allowing more bacteria to destroy tissue and bone. This
result is that your gums shrink away from your teeth, and
if they are not treated by a periodontist, your teeth may
begin to hurt, become loose, and fall out. It has been
proven that smokers loose more teeth than nonsmokers.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, only about 20 percent of people over age 65 who
have never smoked are toothless, while a whopping 41.3
percent of daily smokers over age 65 are toothless.

In addition, research shows that current smokers don't heal
as well after periodontal treatment as former smokers or
nonsmokers. But these effects are reversible if the smokers
kick the habit before beginning treatment.

Furthermore, all tobacco products can be harmful to
periodontal health, such as smokeless tobacco (nicotine gum
products) also can cause gums to recede and increase the
chance of losing the bone and fibers that hold your teeth
in place. In a study of cigar and pipe smokers that was
published in January, 1999 in the Journal of the American
Dental Association it was stated that cigar smokers
experience tooth loss and alveolar bone loss at rates
equivalent to those of cigarette smokers. Pipe smokers
experience tooth loss at a rate similar to cigarette
smokers.

About the Author:

Kristin Gabriel is a social media marketing writer and PR
professional. Her client, Dr. Bijan Afar, is a Los Angeles
dentist and oral surgeon who owns five dental clinics,
including the Wilshire Dental Clinic.
(www.wilshiredentalcare.com) For more information, visit
http://www.oralimplants.com

Gum Disease Associated with Heart Attacks

Recent studies have proven that there is an increase in a
risk for heart disease in those patients who have
periodontal gum disease. The most common strain of bacteria
found in dental plaque may cause blood clots. Once these
clots escape into the bloodstream, there's an increased
risk for a heart attack.

If you have receding gums or notice a bleeding gum that is
often red and irritated, and if you've noticed that your
breath is bad, you may have a gum infection.

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, there
are several theories that explain the link between
periodontal and heart disease. One theory is that oral
bacteria can affect the heart when they enter the blood
stream, attaching to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries
(heart blood vessels) and contributing to clot formation.
Coronary artery disease is characterized by a thickening of
the walls of the coronary arteries due to the buildup of
fatty proteins. Blood clots can obstruct normal blood flow,
restricting the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for
the heart to function properly. This may lead to heart
attacks.

In fact, periodontal disease may increase your risk for
other health concerns including a weakened immune system,
diabetes, stroke, lung and respiratory disease, preterm,
osteoporosis and even low birth babies. Some of these can
be life threatening.

How do you know if you have periodontal disease? Your gums
bleed when you brush your teeth. And are swollen, red and
tender. Other signs are when your gums are pulling away
from your teeth, or permanent teeth become loose or
separate. And if you have persistent bad breath. People
with periodontal disease have an infection that causes
chronic inflammation of the gums. This is a path for these
bacteria to enter the bloodstream.

Unlike other diseases that have early warning signs, gum
disease progresses silently, and often without pain. More
than half of all people over 18 have at least the early
stages of periodontal disease, and the numbers increase to
three out of four people who are over 35. The worse part is
that it not only destroys the gum surrounding your teeth,
but the supporting bone that holds your teeth in place. If
there are pockets or spaces between your gums and teeth,
your dentist may suggest a course of treatment that will
help stop further damage to your gums and bones.

One Beverly Hills dentist recommends periodontal disease
treatment that includes regular appointments with your
dental team to make sure there's no plaque build-up. You
should also attack plaque on a daily basis by using a
one-step powered tooth brush.

According to the Swedish Dental Journal, it helps remove
plaque bacteria twice as fast as a manual brush.

About the Author:

Kristin Gabriel is a Los Angeles-based writer and PR
professional. One of her clients, Dr. Bijan Afar, an oral
surgeon, is also based in Los Angeles, and owns five dental
clinics, including the Wilshire Dental
Clinic. For more information, visit
http://www.wilshiredental.com

Back To Basics: Aspirin After Knee Surgery

Back To Basics: Aspirin After Knee Surgery
Taking aspirin to prevent blood clots after knee surgery may be a safe and effective alternative to currently recommended treatments that are often costlier and riskier, according to preliminary results from a study presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The study found that patients taking aspirin had less risk of developing blood clots than patients taking other blood thinning drugs.

Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis Gives Patrick Swayze Only 5 Weeks Of Life
Patrick Swayze, who diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, was told that he has only five weeks to live.

Narcolepsy and Cataplexy Sleep Disorder Linked To Eating Disorder
The majority of patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy sleep disorder experience a number of symptoms of eating disorders, with an irresistible craving for food and binge eating as the most prominent features, according to a new study.

Pacemaker Tune Up Works Chemical Wonders On Damaged Hearts In Dogs
Using pacemakers to electrically retune a heart damaged by long bouts of a wobbling heartbeat, where one heart muscle wall is beating sooner than the other, leads to fast improvements in the tissue levels of more than a dozen proteins key to the organ's health, scientists at Johns Hopkins report in experiments in dogs.

Sensor necklace helps elderls to take medications on time
Two researchers have designed a sensor necklace that records the date and time a pill is swallowed, which they hope will increase drug compliance and decrease unnecessary health care costs.

Rusty Worms In Human Brain
Nanomineralization of iron: Does the iron transporter transferrin play a role in neurodegenerative diseases?