April 10, 2004

By: Zaki Strand
Website: http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com

Oral Health Practices – Symposium Addresses New Research And Changing Paradigms

Just a few decades ago conventional wisdom stated that when you aged, you lost your teeth. Bacteria, now the known culprit for plaque formation leading to gum disease, was not even a suspect. And when periodontal disease struck, there was only one solution: dentures.

Since then significant changes have taken place in our understanding of periodontal disease. Its pathogenesis is better understood, recognized as an interactive relationship between the microbial response and the host inflammatory response. More intriguing, it has even been discovered that the resulting oral infections may contribute to disease development elsewhere in the body – serious conditions like heart disease and stroke.

Current research connecting oral health to systemic health, along with the challenges for a new generation to change oral health paradigms for both professionals and consumers, were the topics at a symposium sponsored jointly by Butler GUM Healthcare and the National Women’s Health Resource Center.

At the symposium, titled Brush Up On Wellness, top researchers presented to a panel comprised of leadership from prominent U.S. dental organizations, including the American Academy of Periodontology, American Association of Dental Schools, National Dental Association, American Academy of Dental Assistants, American Dental Hygienists Association, and American Association of Women Dentists. Highlights of the research presented at the symposium include:

• * More than 75 percent of the population will develop gingivitis, the first step toward gum disease.
• * Approximately 15 percent of the population has an increased susceptibility to the periodontal process.
• * Research linking oral health to total health is paving the way for increased communication between dental and medical professionals.
• * Patients with advanced periodontal disease are 50 percent more likely to have coronary disease.
• * Advanced periodontal disease is a significant risk factor for heart disease, perhaps even greater than cholesterol.
• * Analyses of a large national survey (10,000 participants spanning 21 years) have suggested advanced periodontal disease may account for as much as 19 percent of the risk factor for non-hemorrhagic stroke.
• * Smokers have a 50 percent greater chance of developing gum disease than non-smokers.
• * Studies have demonstrated a 36 percent reduction in tooth loss with hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progesterone).
• * In a recent study (230 participants), 18 percent of low-birthweight deliveries were linked to advanced periodontal disease.
• * Environmental, acquired and genetic factors exist for periodontal disease, including smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, male gender, stress and osteopenia.

Author Notes:

Zaki Strand contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com.  Everything you need to know to get a whiter, brighter smile!