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LES MALADIES PARODONTALES ET VOTRE SANTÉ Des évidences scientifiques suggèrent maintenant que la maladie parodontale puisse être un facteur de risque dans les maladies cardio-vasculaires ainsi que les maladies respiratoires. Les personnes souffrant de maladies parodontales sont à un plus grand risque de maladie cardiaques et ont deux fois le risque d'avoir une crise cardiaque mortelle que des personnes sans maladie parodontale. On croit que les bactéries qui causent la maladie parodontale peuvent causer de petits caillots de sang qui peuvent contribuer à obstruer les artères par l'accumulation des dépôts gras dans les artères de coeur. La maladie parodontale s'est maintenant avérée un facteur de risque pour avoir les bébés prématurés ou de petit poids à la naissance. Les mères avec la maladie parodontale peuvent courir un risque de une à sept fois plus grand d'avoir un bébé prématuré ou petit poids à la naissance. Le lien entre le diabète et les maladies parodontales a été reconnu depuis un certain temps. Les saignements de gencives, la perte d'os et une augmentation des profondeurs des poches autour des dents peuvent être un indicateur précoce du diabète. Les diabétiques sont plus susceptibles aux maladies parodontales et ont besoin souvent de plus de soins parodontaux que les patients non-diabétiques. L'activité des maladies parodontales est souvent liée au niveau de contrôle du sucre sanguin du patient diabétique. Il y a aussi un lien étroit entre le tabagisme et les maladies parodontales. Le tabagisme réduit l'approvisionnement de sang à l'os autour des dents. La chaleur et les toxines intenses relâchées lorsqu'une personne fume peuvent également affecter la composition bactérienne de la bouche et de la résistance immunitaire du corps aux bactéries parodontales. Le tabagisme réduit l'effet positif de la thérapie parodontale indépendamment du niveau de l'hygiène orale. Académie canadienne de parodontologie
Infected Gums Leak Toxins Into Bloodstream People with severe gum disease may be prone to releasing bacterial poisons known as endotoxins into their bloodstream, which may help explain the link between gum infections and cardiovascular disease. The mouth can be a major source of chronic or permanent release of toxic bacterial components in the bloodstream during normal oral functions. This could be the missing link explaining the abnormally high blood levels of some inflammatory markers observed in patients with periodontal disease. Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria in plaque infect the gums and bones that anchor the teeth. If left unchecked, these bacteria will creep below the gum line, where they produce toxins that create a chronic inflammatory response that triggers the body to break down the tissues and bone around the teeth, leaving pockets of space that can become infected. Previous research has found that people with periodontal disease are more likely to suffer strokes and coronary artery disease -- both conditions that may be associated with inflammation of the blood vessels. While researchers have shown that bacteria in the mouth can be released into the bloodstream, they have not shown that endotoxins -- poisons emitted by some bacteria -- can also enter the bloodstream via the mouth.Investigators sought to determine whether endotoxins could in fact be released into the bloodstream by a usual and frequent oral habit, such as chewing gum, and if people with more severe gum disease might release more endotoxin into their blood. To investigate, the researchers had 42 people with moderate to severe periodontal disease and 25 people with healthy gums chew gum 50 times on each side of their mouth. The investigators also measured the level of endotoxins circulating in each individual's bloodstream before chewing and 5 to 10 minutes afterwards. According to the report the average amount of endotoxins present in the blood were significantly higher in all the patients after the gum chewing. Those with severe periodontal disease were nearly four times as likely to have significant levels of endotoxins after chewing than those with healthy gums. These findings provide additional evidence for a link between the bacteria present in the mouth of those with periodontal disease and inflammatory reactions linked to heart disease, the authors conclude. Around 15% of adults aged 21 to 50 and around 30% of people over 50 suffer from severe periodontal disease.
Gum Disease May Increase Risk of Premature Birth
Gum or periodontal disease is caused by a chronic bacterial infection and can lead to bone loss, damaged gum tissue and even tooth loss. However, even more frightening is the fact that a new study suggests that gum disease may also increase the risk of preterm birth, and it is not the first time this association has been made. Overall, studies have concluded that the increased risk is anywhere from 3 to 8 times as great. Preterm birth is an important cause of illness in American infants and often results in long-term damage such as neurological disability. Although studies in animals and humans have suggested that infections in general can be a cause of preterm birth, it is not entirely clear why gum disease contributes to preterm birth. However, mouth infections cause inflammation, which is associated with a number of naturally occurring factors, such as prostaglandins and cytokines. The biological mechanism is still being studied, but it has been shown that periodontal infections in animals impair fetal growth. This impaired growth is believed to be due to the enhanced release of cytokines, such as prostaglandin and tumor necrosis factor. These same substances have been shown to elicit preterm delivery in humans (Journal of Periodontology 1996; 67[10 suppl]:1103-1113). This study found that the worse the gum disease was, the more likely a woman was to have a preterm birth. One of the researchers suggests that women contemplating pregnancy and those already pregnant "should ask their dentist to examine them for periodontal disease." Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research June, 2000
Les maladies parodontales et les naissances prématurées
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