First, let me assure you that this article is NOT a lecture about the health hazards associated with smoking cigarettes. We assume you’ve heard many of those statistics and warnings before.

Signs of gum disease

However, as a Periodontist, I would be remiss if I didn’t begin by sharing the rather unique view I have of what it does to the inside of an adult mouth. With this in mind, I’ll share some perspectives you may not know.

When it comes to a smile, be aware that smokers have a greater risk of periodontal (gum) disease, more frequent bad breath, higher plaque levels, stained teeth, and slower healing following extractions, gum treatment and oral surgery.

The primary reason for this is because smoking has a drying effect on oral tissues. Without moisture that moves bacteria out of the mouth, this creates an ideal breeding environment for oral bacteria.

As oral bacteria reproduce and multiply in the mouth, the bacteria become infectious and inflame gum tissues. This is the beginning of gum disease. In the initial stage, known as gingivitis, symptoms include frequent bad breath, tender gums, and gum tissues that bleed easily when brushing.

As it progresses, bad breath becomes persistent, gum tissues turn red, and pus pockets form at the base of some teeth. Eventually, this potent bacteria attack bone structures that support teeth and tissues surrounding tooth roots. This causes teeth to loosen and can lead to the need for tooth removal.

Gum disease is the nation’s leading cause of adult tooth loss. You may be surprised to learn that losing teeth is highly detrimental to your overall health. Studies show that people who wear dentures die ten years earlier than those with natural teeth, on average. Denture wearers take more medications, have more gastrointestinal problems, and are less socially active.

Smoking is also attributed to nearly a third of all cancer diseases and deaths. Pregnant women who smoke have a greater risk for first-trimester spontaneous abortion, preterm births, low birth weight babies (under 5.5 lbs) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Women who smoke are risk having early menopause while men who smoke are at higher risk of impotency.

On average, smokers decrease life expectancy by 10–15 years. That’s pretty scary. As hard as it is, kicking the habit is well worth the benefits, which can be obvious almost immediately. These often include:

• Immediately: You halt the contribution of ‘second-hand smoke,’ which puts at least 50 carcinogens and other harmful chemicals in the air. If you have children, you’ll eliminate them waking up with ‘smoker’s cough.’
• Within 2 days: The sense of smell and taste return and damaged nerve endings begin to regenerate.
• Within 3 days: Breathing becomes easier with fuller air intake as the lungs start to repair.
• Within 2 weeks: Blood circulation in the gums is restored. The risk of heart attack declines.
• Within 6 weeks: Overall circulation has improved, walking has become easier and your chronic cough has cleared.

In our periodontal dental office, we don’t lecture our patients. We respect them and work with each on an individual basis. Our goal is to help you keep your smile in good shape, keep your natural teeth, and avoid the hazards of periodontal disease.

For those who have lost natural teeth, a periodontist has advanced training in the diagnosis and placement of dental implants in addition to the treatment of all stages of gum disease.

If you are experiencing signs associated with periodontal disease, the condition will only worsen without treatment. The earlier you treat gum disease, the less-involved treatment will be. Call 828-274-9440 to schedule an initial appointment. It is not necessary to be referred.

With flu season upon us, many people are headed to drug stores or their doctor’s office to get a flu shot. By injecting a small amount of the particular strain of flu that is anticipated for this season, this action will hopefully help individuals to build up a resistance to getting it.

Even with this shot, however, some people still acquire the flu. And, for some people, the flu bug can be a dreadful illness that can lead to hospitalization and even death. According to Harvard Health Publishing (https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/10-flu-myths): “in the United States alone, 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 are hospitalized each year because of the flu”.

Although we take precautions such as washing hands and covering our mouths when we sneeze, germs are everywhere – especially in colder months when air circulates in tigher spaces.

When it comes to germs, an often overlooked source of germs are dentures and partials. Dentures, because of their porous nature, can be coated with a sticky bacteria known as biofilm. It has been found that this biofilm can harbor MRSA or bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics.

One study, published in the Journal of The American Dental Association, was conducted to determine methods to effectively kill bacteria in the material that make up the gum base of dentures and partials. The results, reported on by NBC News in 2012, revealed how truly serious these bacteria levels were.  (https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/dirty-dentures-dangerous-mrsa-may-be-lurking-dentists-say-662637)

What was shared was that dentures are “covered with thin layers of icky, sticky bacteria known as biofilms. Worse, some of the biofilm germs may be bad bugs such as MRSA, or drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which can lurk on the dentures until they’re breathed into the lungs, where experts fear they may cause nasty, hard-to-treat infections.”

The problem, and risks, don’t stop there. When bacteria in the mouth are breathed into the lungs, infections become much more difficult to treat. This is especially concerning due to the high number of denture and partial wearers who sleep in their appliances.

One study found that wearing dentures while sleeping doubles the risk of pneumonia in elderly adults. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4541085/) While sleeping in dentures obviously increases health risks, these icky organisms can create quite an obstacle to adults who have immune systems that are already compromised.

Just because we don’t see the actions of the little critters that live inside our bodies, we must not forget that bacteria are there – living, eating reproducing, and emitting waste. The tiny hide-outs of denture ‘pores’ give oral bacteria an ideal environment to thrive and reproduce.

With the additional frustrations of wearing dentures and partials, it’s no surprise that dental implants have become the preferred choice of today’s adult when it comes to replacing natural teeth.

Dental implants are held by the jaw bone, restoring a sturdy foundation for biting and chewing. They also recreate stimulation to the bone that supports them, thus halting the rate of bone loss that occurs from wearing dentures. And, dental implants are designed to last a lifetime, making them an excellent investment.

As a Periodontist, my specialty includes advanced training in the diagnosis and placement of dental implants. Over the years, I have been impressed with their track record, having one of the highest of all implant-in-bone success rates.

Why worry over the health risks associated with wearing dentures and partials? Dental implants are dependable, safe, lasting, and provide a natural look and feel. Call 828-274-9440 to schedule an appointment to determine if dental implants are right for you.

An alarming percentage of Americans are more than just fat, they are obese. Obesity is when body mass index is 30 or greater. According to the Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of adults in the U.S. who are categorized as obese was 39.8 percent in 2015~2016. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5813989/)

This means that nearly one-third of an obese adult is made up of fat. And, it’s not just our country that suffers from toting an excessive load of weight. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that approximately 600 million obese adults were obese with numbers expected to rise due to high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles.

An oft-unknown side effect of obesity is chronic inflammation, which has been found to exacerbate other inflammatory disorders, including periodontitis (advanced gum disease). The systemic effect of obesity seems to trigger a predisposition to a variety of serious health conditions. In addition to a higher risk for periodontal disease, these include Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

These findings are nothing new, however. Over a decade ago, the Journal of Dental Research reported that “The possible causal relationship between obesity and periodontitis and potential underlying biological mechanisms remain to be established; however, the adipose tissue actively secretes a variety of cytokines and hormones that are involved in inflammatory processes, pointing toward similar pathways involved in the pathophysiology of obesity, periodontitis, and related inflammatory diseases.” (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/154405910708600503?journalCode=jdrb)

As research continues to study the cause-&-effect, Periodontists have learned that obese patients have a 6 times higher potential to develop periodontal (gum) disease. While the role of a periodontal specialist is to tend to the oral well-being of patients regardless of their BMI, addressing this higher risk with obese individuals can be a sensitive issue.

Losing weight is not easy. And, research has even shown that factors such as sleep quality and what we eat (as much as how much we eat) can cause the brain to make the path to shedding pounds even more difficult.

For instance, studies have shown that sugar can be addictive. Sugar consumption even activates the same regions in the brain that react to cocaine. Giving up sugar to the recommended 6 teaspoons per day limit can be rather challenging for those who have a “sweet tooth.” (https://www.brainmdhealth.com/blog/what-do-sugar-and-cocaine-have-in-common/)

Insufficient sleep also complicates the brain’s ability to regulate hunger hormones, known as ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin stimulates the appetite while leptin sends signals of feeling full. When the body is sleep-deprived, the level of ghrelin rises while leptin levels decrease. This leads to an increase in hunger.

The National Sleep Foundation states that “people who don’t get enough sleep eat twice as much fat and more than 300 extra calories the next day, compared with those who sleep for eight hours.” (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/the-connection-between-sleep-and-overeating)

As difficult as losing weight can be, it is important to be aware of risk factors that can make you more vulnerable to gum disease, which is the nation’s leading cause of adult tooth loss. Early symptoms include gums that are tender, swollen, and may bleed easily when brushing teeth. This stage is known as gingivitis, which can be reversed with prompt and thorough oral hygiene measures.

As it worsens, however, the inflammation of oral bacteria can lead to persistent bad breath, receded gums that expose sensitive tooth roots, and gums that darken in color. If untreated, pus pockets can form on gums and teeth may loosen, eventually requiring removal.

There is no doubt that an association between obesity and periodontal disease exists. Overweight adults should take special precautions to maintain good oral health, both at home and through regular dental check-ups. This is particularly important since the bacteria of gum disease has been linked to serious health problems because of its ability to trigger inflammatory reactions. These include heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, some cancers, preterm babies, impotency, and Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are experiencing symptoms of gum disease, however, it is paramount that you be seen by a periodontist promptly to halt further progression. A periodontist is a dental specialist who has advanced training in treating all stages of gum disease as well as in the placement of dental implants.

Call 828-274-9440 to schedule an initial examination and consultation.

Men in their 30s who suffer with severe periodontal (gum) disease are 3 times more likely to have erection problems, according to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. (https://www.perio.org/consumer/erectile_dysfunction)

This supports previous research that shows links between periodontal disease and heart disease, a common contributor to erectile dysfunction. Although solid findings have not found the connection points of cause-&-effect, the association is thought to be related to inflammation brought on by gum disease bacteria.

These are all valid reasons that men should take an active role in the health of their teeth and gums before other areas of the body are affected. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimate that nearly half of U.S. adults have periodontal disease. Of that, 56 percent of males have gum disease and over 38 percent of females have some level of it.

Other areas where periodontal health has been associated with the status of men’s health, in particular, include prostate health, heart disease, impotence and cancer. For example, research has found that men with a history of gum disease are 14 percent more likely to develop cancer than men with healthy gums. Additionally, 59 percent  of men are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer with 49 percent more likely to develop kidney cancer  and 30 percent more likely to develop blood cancer (such as leukemia).

Periodontal disease, according to numerous research, is now found to be associated with a long list of serious health problems. In addition to those listed above, it has been linked to arthritis, diabetes, preterm babies, erectile dysfunction (ED) and even Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, gum disease is the nation’s leading cause of adult tooth loss.

Gum disease is one of the easiest of all diseases to avoid. Twice daily brushing and dail flossing take only minutes per day. Having 6-month dental check-ups and cleanings are structured to help you maintain healthy gums and be cavity free between visits. And, if problems do exist, they can be caught early so treatment needs will be minimal.

Men can do a better job of protecting their overall health by keeping their gums healthy. It is also important to know the symptoms of gum disease. These include gums that bleed when brushing, sore or swollen spots on gums, persistent bad breath, and gums that are red rather than a healthy pink color.

If you have any of these symptoms, call (828) 274-9440 or tap here to schedule an examination appointment as soon as possible. Gum disease will only worsen without treatment.