Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Gum Health

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, April 26, 2004

STORY:  GUM HEALTH
SCRIPT #554  SHOOT:  4/9/04
AIRDATE:  Monday, April 26, 2004
DHC Master #19  Timecode:   22:04

A routine blood test now can detect a serious risk factor for both heart and gum disease. What do the two diseases have in common?  They both trigger chemicals in the blood linked to inflammation. Dr. Linda Niessen looks at the latest research in today's segment of Dental Health Check.

The next time you are evaluated for heart disease, don't be surprised if your physician looks inside your mouth. Scientific studies link periodontal disease, a chronic infection of the gums, and cardiovascular disease.  

"My mother died when she was 76 of a heart attack . But several years before that she had had gum disease," said patient Mary Jo Mitchell.

Mary Jo has a family history of both heart and gum disease. She underwent gum surgery to improve her overall health.

"I know a lot of people are scared to go to the dentist. But really, it's not that bad," she said.

In a recent publication of the AARP, older adults are warned about the heart/gum disease connection in an article titled "gumming up your heart." 

"Well as a matter of fact, there are studies that show that one of these proteins that cause inflammation, called c-reactive protein, can be reduced in the blood stream by treatment of periodontal disease or gum disease," said Perodontist Dr. Farhad Boltchi. "And that in turn, theoretically, would reduce the risk for heart disease."

Researchers discovered that a elevated substance detected in a routine blood test, called c-reactive protein, may be a warning sign of inflammation, which can be triggered by heart and gum disease.

"This is an additional risk factor that is being taken more and more seriously," Dr. Boltchi added.

In the future, patients with periodontal or gum disease will be diagnosed and treated earlier. Because the results of routine lab blood tests during an annual medical check-up could result in a referral to a Periodontist. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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