DENTAL CARE

Q:A:Are You Doing Anything Special for Valentine’s Day? Okay..I get it..that’s not really a dental question. However, I couldn’t let an opportunity such as this to slip through my hands. When we think of Valentine’s Day, one of the first thing that comes to mind is a heart. Of course, this is not just any heart, but rather a big red heart. Maybe this is why the month of February is chosen by the American Heart Association as Heart Awareness Month. Our leading cause of death still focuses on heart issues. Interestingly enough, February is also Gum Disease Awareness Month. Is this just a coincidence? We view a heart as red. We also know that our gums are pink or red. Is it any more than that? Let’s take a moment to see and discuss where this association will lead us.

Current statistics have gum disease at some level or another appearing in 85% of the population. That number is astronomical. We don’t think much of it as we would some other disease. Can you imagine if the flu struck 85% of all people. We would call this an epidemic. Yet when it comes to teeth, it is just “natural”. Is this because teeth are somewhat disposable?... is this because we have gotten so good at repairing and replacing teeth? I don’t have an answer for that, but let’s go on.

In addition to losing teeth, gum disease is showing up in more scientific studies in association with a number of health problems. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer have all been shown to have some type of relationship to gum disease. Now association does not mean that one is the cause of the other. Further research is needed in these fields. The fact remains that the body is so complex and the parts are interconnected, one can’t ignore some obvious links. Last August, Dr. Peter Libby and Dr. Paul Ridker reported results of a study at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona, Spain. Both doctors are eminent scientists and well regarded in the medical world. Together with reporting the results of the study, the heart data appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine, which is a well known and prestigious publication. The study showed a reduction in heart issues when inflammation was reduced. This theory of heart disease due to inflammation has been proposed for a few decades, but no one has performed a study like the one that they reported to show the relationship. The inflammation was really non-specific. This means it could come from stress, or rheumatoid arthritis or a host of other issues which causes a rise in a certain protein which is a marker of stress. There are theories that gum disease, which fills our blood streams with many bad bacteria, can create this type of inflammatory reaction. If this is so, then we have a direct connection. Anecdotally, I can recall a number of patients that struggled with gum disease for years. These patients that stand out in my mind all died at a young age due to a heart attack. Everyone likes to hold onto their teeth. You know that I am big advocate of this approach. It makes me wonder if the treatment of choice in these patients should be extraction to remove this severe source of full body harmful bacteria from the health equation. Once the teeth are gone, so is the infection. This is a topic that needs to be explored further. So with Valentine’s Day just a couple of days away, what can I do for tooth, heart health and to make sure that I show my love to that special person. Red roses will always work. This will make everyone feel good with no downside. Candy is great, but let’s make sure that we don’t eat all day as the sticky chocolate will coat our teeth for longer and be a safe haven for mouth bacteria. I’ve decided to use Valentine’s Day and the couples theme as a springboard for you oral health. I am giving a free cleaning and exam to all couples that book an appointment together. There are more details so ask Megan when you call her at 440.951.7856 Happy Valentine’s Day to all. Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.

34586 Lakeshore Boulevard

The Healthy Smile (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com

Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD