Although many of us have uttered the phrase “just a cleaning,” it isn’t very accurate. At our office every hygiene visit whether you have a healthy mouth or active gum disease, we use several screening tools to get a pulse on the health of the rest of your body. The current research continues to explore the connections between our mouth and the rest of our body. Oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease like Porphyromonas gingivalis have been found in arthrosclerosis in arteries. Inflammation in our gums allows bacteria from our mouth into our blood stream to travel throughout the body. Unfortunately, atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease and is one of the most frequent causes of stroke or heart attack worldwide.
The doctor and hygienists evaluate gum tissue color, texture, signs of bleeding and inflammation at every visit. Inflammation increases the risk that bacteria, especially toxic bacteria can spread. By reducing inflammation within the oral cavity by “cleaning the teeth” and removing high loads of bacteria embedded on tooth structure, will in turn lower risk of those cardiovascular disease complications. When the hygienists tells you to brush and floss more, it may just save your life.
