Dental House is Opening April 2016 on Dublin’s Aungier Street.
 
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In recent years, evidence has mounted to show that there is a strong correlation between neglect of dental hygiene and a wide variety of conditions.

 

What follows is a list of 5 such conditions and the reasoning behind their links to poor dental hygiene;

1. Gum Disease- this one is rather obvious! If you neglect to  brush and floss, plaque spreads, your immune response heightens and destroys tissues and bones in the mouth.  This creates pockets between the teeth that can become infected.You will be left with gums that are red, swollen, stinky and quick to bleed.  In the long term, this can develop into periodontitis, a chronic gum disease that will cause tooth loss!

2. Dementia- A large, long-term study of patients at a California retirement community in the United States suggests that there may be a link between poor dental health and dementia.  In this study, researchers followed 5,468 people for 18 years and discovered that — among those who still had teeth — those “who reported not brushing their teeth daily had a 22% to 65% greater risk of dementia than those who brushed three times daily.” Additionally, a small study found that the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s had more bacteria associated with gum disease than did those belonging to non-sufferers.

3. Diabetes- It is a known fact that people with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing periodontitis.  However, in recent times, research has begun to show that the relationship may be bidirectional, that is, that  poor dental health may also be a risk factor for insulin resistance (often called “pre-diabetes”) and diabetes. Other studies have even indicated that where both conditions are present, patient’s diabetes may be controlled if periodontitis is reigned in.

4. Pregnancy Complications- Gingivitis may affects60-75% of pregnant women, so it is especially important that expectant mothers tend to their teeth. If they have serious dental problems, their children are more likely to develop cavities. Poor maternal oral health is also associated with low birth weight and pre-term birth.  Researchers suspect that one of two mechanisms may be the cause of these: Either overall inflammation is heightened, or oral bacteria that enter the bloodstream eventually colonize the placenta, and cause inflammatory responses.

5. Ulcers- In people with periodontitis, the plaque that forms in the pockets beneath the gum line can become a reservoir for Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that, when flared up, is responsible for stomach ulcers. This bacterium may be transmitted orally, and according to epidemiological studies, there is a definite positive association between periodontitis and a positive test for the bacterium (which also happens to be a risk factor for stomach cancer).

If you are worried about your gum health, come visit us at Dental House and let us alleviate the risks /contact

Opening April 2016

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