Periodontal Disease may increase your risk for a variety of health concerns including:

• Weakened immune system
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes

Dr. Robert Genco, chairman of Oral Biology Department at SUNYAB, said, "Diabetics are at a higher risk for periodontal disease." His studies show that treating PI may reduce a diabetic's blood sugar level.

Grossi et al. 1997. Treatment of periodontal disease in diabetics reduces glycated hemoglobin. J. Periodontal 68(8): 713-719.

Grossi et al. 1998. Periodontal Disease and Diabetes Mellitus: A two-way relationship. Annals Periodontal 3(1): 51-61.

• Stroke

Arnin Grau, M.D., of the Department of Neurology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany discovered that poor dental status resulting from chronic dental and bone infection was associated with a stroke increase of two and one-half times over non-PI patients. In fact, stroke patients are three times more likely to have PI. "In stroke cases, only the dental factor is causative and significant."

Grau et al. 1997. Association between acute cerebrovascular ischemia and chronic and recurrent infection. Journal Stroke (9) 1724-9.

• Lung Disease
• Preterm, low birth weight babies

A UM study found that a woman was seven times more likely to have a preterm, low-birth weight baby if severe PI was present. PI may be as serious a risk to a pregnant woman's fetus as the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

Loesche W.J. 1997. Association of the oral flora with important medical diseases. Curr. Opin. Periodontal 4:21-28.

• Respiratory Diseases and Pneumonia
• Osteoporosis

A study at SUNYAB reviewed the medical records of 3,000 postmenopausal women and found that women who had osteoporosis of the hip were two times more likely to have loose teeth and PI than women with healthy hip bones.

Tezak et al. 2000. The relationship between bone mineral density and periodontitis in postmenopausal women. J. Periodontol. 71(9): 1492-1498.

Researchers are starting to use bone scans to compare the bone density of the hip to that of the bone surrounding the teeth. Preliminary results indicate that, as dental bone density decreases, so does hip bone density. Further studies are warranted.

Wactawski-Wende et al. 1998. Osteoporosis, oral health linked. Analysis of national database shows strong relationship. American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• Gastric Ulcer

Even when H. pylori was eliminated from the stomach with antibiotic therapy, it was not completely eradicated from the mouth, where it continues to grow in colonies deep within periodontal pockets. These pockets could be a source of re-infection for the stomach.

Heller et. al. The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program. New York: Ballantine Books.

• Obesity and Weight Loss

Results obtained from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES III) show that overweight people with the highest levels of insulin resistance are 50% more likely to have severe PI compared to overweight people with low insulin resistance.

Grossi et al. 2000. Obesity-gum disease link found. U of Buffalo Reporter 31 (25).