Medical Health Risks
Over the last 50 years, we have seen the meaning of oral health evolve from a narrow focus on teeth and gums to the recognition that the mouth is the center of vital tissues and functions that are critical to total health and well-being across our life span.
The surgeon general report states that, Oral health is integral to general health. Studies increasingly demonstrate an association between Periodontal Inflammation, Diabetes, Heart disease, Stroke, Adverse pregnancy outcomes, Osteoporosis, Lung Disease and even some Cancers.
In the United States, seven out of ten adults have periodontal disease. Since we know that periodontal disease can be life threatening, we at the Legacy Periodontics & Implant Center, take it seriously. Patients come in to our office weekly that have diabetes and that are at high risk for a heart attack or stroke and don’t know it.
A comprehensive examination in our office also includes a thorough review of your general health. In some circumstances laboratory tests will be taken to help diagnose and determine your overall risk. Our goal is to help your medical doctor identify serious health problems early on and work with him/her to improve your quality of life.
Successful treatment of periodontal disease has been shown to:
- Significantly decrease a key marker of inflammation “C. Reactive protein” often from the high risk to the safe level.
- Significantly reduce blood sugar levels “Hba1c”, aiding diabetics.
- Reduce the chance of pre-term birth by a factor of 6 – 8 times.
- Reduce the cost of medical care due to cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.