The following article appeared today in The Record. Some
help for those who need the help.
Gum, heart disease linked
(Jul 2, 2004)
People with severe gum disease may be more likely to have
precursors to heart disease than those with milder forms of
the disease, known as periodontitis.
The disease, in which bacteria infect the gums and bones
supporting the teeth, can cause gums to separate from the
teeth and form pockets.
Scientists had thought that periodontitis was a risk factor
for heart disease; now researchers have linked the severity
of the condition to the likelihood of symptoms.
By measuring these pockets, researchers at Kyushu University
in Japan found that people with an average pocket depth of
two millimetres or more -- a severe case of periodontitis --
were 1.6 times more likely to have readings showing a larger
left ventricle or electrical conductive problems, which are
predictors for heart disease, than people with smaller
pocket depths or no gum disease.
Michael Rethman, president of the American Academy of
Periodontology, said extra bacteria in the blood during
periodontitis could affect the heart. Also, he said, the
body's disease-fighting chemicals might be linked to artery
hardening.
The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal
of Periodontology.
Associated Press
Imagine if there was such a thing as a cavity in the
jawbone that could kill the bone so that blood flow would
prevent any medications from reaching in to kill this
source of toxic material, but it could leech trough the
gums and find its way into the bloodstream to do harm. Of
course, this has been defined by men with open, and
brilliant minds who have developed an unconditional
understanding of the workings of the human body. I know of
a few people, including myself, who have had a simple oral
surgery that uncovered this condition. That would mean that
it exists in the physical world.