Plaque by any Other Name

The shear definition of plaque and calculus should lead us to believe that medicine has long suspected the link between cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease. Just think, we call the unhealthy beginning of gingivitis and periodontal disease plaque and calculus. This is what we remove when we brush our teeth and get a professional dental cleaning. If you have cardiovascular disease, it is plaque or calcium buildup in your arteries that ultimately have lead to your problem.

Here is some food for thought, think about the similarities:

What is Dental Plaque?

Dental plaque is a soft deposit that accumulates on the teeth. Plaque can be defined as a complex microbial community. In addition to the bacterial cells, plaque contains a small number of epithelial cells, leukocytes, and macrophages. The cells are contained within an extracellular matrix, which is formed from bacterial products and saliva. The extracellular matrix contains protein, polysaccharide and lipids.
The oral cavity contains the only known anatomical aspect of the human body that does not have a regulated system of shedding surfaces: the teeth. This allows a numerous amount of microorganisms to adhere to the surface of teeth for long periods of time. These multiple species of bacteria become dental biofilm. Dental biofilm, more commonly referred to as dental plaque, is composed of about a thousand bacteria that take part in the complex ecosystems of the mouth.

At first, the biofilm is soft enough to come off by using finger nail. However, it starts to harden within 48 hours, and in about 10 days the plaque becomes dental calculus (tartar) hard and difficult to remove. Dental plaque can give rise to problems such as gingivitis and chronic periodontitis.

What Is Coronary Heart Disease?

Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease, is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis (ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis). The buildup of plaque occurs over many years.

Atherosclerosis

Over time, plaque hardens into calculus or calcium deposits and narrows your coronary arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle.

Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open). This causes a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. If the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle is reduced or blocked, angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) or a heart attack may occur.

A heart attack occurs if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked. If blood flow is not restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die. Without quick treatment, a heart attack can lead to serious problems and even death.

The key message to take home is to prevent plaque accumulation in anyway possible, either in your mouth or in your arteries.

What Does Your Mouth Have to Say About Your Health?

From www.cbsnews.com, other professionals are supporting the same message we tell our patients daily.

-Dr. Wade

"Cardiologists might not check your teeth and gums, but maybe they should start. Mounting evidence suggests a quick peek in the mouth may reveal a whole lot about your general health.

The lips, mouth, teeth and breath can signal medical problems and diseases beyond the plaque, gum disease and gingivitis diagnosed in the dentist's chair. Plaque buildup between teeth due to lax brushing and flossing is very different from plaque that builds up in arteries and causes heart attacks - but the toxins in mouth plaque stimulate a chronic inflammatory response linked to diseases like heart disease.

"The mouth is the gateway to the heart and there's clearly a link between poor dental health and cardiovascular conditions," says Dr. Kevin Marzo, Chief of Cardiology at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York. For example, he says, cardiac medications you put under your tongue travel quickly through the bloodstream. That means bacteria can too.

"The bacteria that cause dental plaque may promote inflammation in the body beyond the mouth including the lining of the blood vessels, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease including heart attacks," says Marzo.

Research has shown when people with active gum disease are treated, their arteries actually get healthier. Some experts suggest managing inflammation in the mouth may reduce other inflammatory-related health issues, including arthritis - even wrinkles and aging. Besides heart disease, gum disease has been linked to respiratory diseases, stroke, and osteoporosis.

The mouth can also give doctors clues about a person's sexual health. Warts in the mouth that resemble cauliflower clusters may signal the human papillomavirus, or HPV, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.

"I see them on the lips, tongue or roof of the mouth," says Dr. Susan Pugliese, Clinical Assistant Professor Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry Department of Surgery at SUNY Downstate. "And I'm seeing them more frequently in patients over 50 who are dating." Pugliese says this age group may not connect what's going on in their mouth to their sex lives.

HPV is also a driver of oral cancer: the National Cancer Institute, estimates 65 percent of the approximately 8,000 cancers of the tonsils and base of the tongue seen in the U.S. in 2010 were from HPV infections; 80 per cent were in men. Cancers may appear as ulcers on the lips, inside of the cheeks, tongue or back of throat that don't heal, or white patches that don't slough off. A biopsy is typically recommended for suspicious warts or lesions in the mouth and throat.

HIV is often first detected in the mouth, as a bright red outline around the teeth, or as a white coating that can be scraped off the tongue, known as thrush. The coating signals an overgrowth of Candida, the same fungus that causes yeast infections in women and jock itch in men. The white coating can also signal glucose levels are out of whack, poorly managed diabetes or fluctuating hormones. It can also be harmless, signaling a sensitivity to additives in toothpaste, such as tartar control agents. Dentists may recommend an HIV test for young patients presenting with Candida who have other risk factors.

A person's breath also provides health clues. Bad breath may signal serious conditions that require medical attention such as respiratory infections, diabetes, acid reflux and kidney and liver problems. Dry mouth? That's sometimes caused by medications, such as antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, and heart drugs. Drinking water or chewing on fibrous foods such as celery may help.

Good oral hygiene is the best way to prevent gum disease and keep your mouth healthy. Healthy gums hug the teeth and don't pull away, have bounce, and don't bleed from brushing or flossing. But while a clean, well-cared for mouth can promote good health, it can also disguise serious health problems... so don't skip regular visits to the doctor, and dentist."

Smile With Heart

Do you have a family history of heart disease or periodontal disease? You may want to consider the MYPerioPath saliva DNA test. You simply swish with a sterile saline solution in your mouth and spit into a tube. The sample is then sent to OralDNA Labs, where testing is performed. The same bacteria that can cause periodontal disease are the same pathogens that can be responsible for heart disease. The mouth is the window to your health, keep it happy and healthy!

How do You Fatigue your Adrenals?

How do you fatigue your adrenals? I know, easy answer right? STRESS! Just live one week of your life. Take that one week and begin to look at it x2 or x10 or x100 weeks. After awhile, the adrenal glands become fatigued or even exhausted simply by the daily stressors of your busy life. Your body is designed so that when the source of immediate stress passes, you can return to a state of rest. When you are constantly in stressful situations, you are constantly on alert. If you do not return to a state of rest, then you risk adrenal fatigue. The cause of fatigue can simply be the stress of daily living, but on top of that stress, add injuries, surgeries, lack of nutrition, lack of rest, or pregnancies and BAM! You have a full on exhaustive episode.

CUT 2 THE CHASE

High stress will decrease your ability to fight infections and absorb nutrients effectively. You may also notice that your allergies are worse in times of stress. Stress which causes high cortisol levels will ultimately lead to adrenal fatigue, which in turn could eventually lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, degenerative diseases, periodontal disease and accelerated aging. The cause of fatigue can simply be stress of daily living, injuries, surgeries, lack of nutrition, lack of rest, pregnancies, etc.

The adrenal glands basically regulate everything, so you must make an effort every day to support their health. You must make these habits a priority of life: sleep, exercise, decreased and controlled stress; support yourself with proper supplements; remove inflammatory foods and remove habits like smoking and excessive alcohol. A proactive and preventive approach to your own mental, physical and dental health will increase your overall health and well-being.

The Mouth is the Window to Your Health

A smile should exude confidence, health, and happiness. Perception of your emotional and physical health is influenced by your smile. What does your smile say? If a smile is worth a thousand words, make sure it tells the message you want. Your mouth is the window to your body and it gives many subtle hints to your age, stress level, and overall health. That is why maintaining your oral health is critical.

One of the easiest symptoms to observe in the mouth is STRESS! People just love to clench and grind when they are under a ton of stress. Stress leaves subtle signs like worn teeth, which ages your looks prematurely. A dry mouth or lack of saliva also can occur under chronic stress. Look at your tongue. Is it nice and smooth or does it look like a dried up lake bed with cracks and crevices? Saliva is your body’s natural way of protecting itself from cavities. Without enough you will become more susceptible to cavities, infections, and periodontal disease. Everyday science is uncovering more and more direct links of periodontal disease with cardiovascular disease, strokes, and diabetes. You may not be concerned about losing one of your 32 teeth, but when tooth infections affect your one and only heart, you just might change your mind.

Insane or Inflamed?

If you feel so bad that at times you think you are losing your mind, there is hope for you! You just need to get your body regulated again. At one time or another, you have probably received or purchased a cortisone cream or cortisone shot to place on a rash or decrease joint swelling or inflammation

CORTISOL = BODY’S NATURAL DEFENSE AGAINST INFLAMMATION!

Imagine that you have used up your body’s natural way to fight inflammation. High cortisol levels cause suppression of the immune system and interfere with the surface integrity of the body's mucosal linings in the digestive tract and respiratory system. This can put you at greater risk for infections and allergic reactions to foods.

The state of inflammation can ultimately lead to cancer and other serious illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, degenerative diseases, periodontal disease, and accelerated aging. You can see how the magnitude of just one fatigued or exhausted gland can affect so many different areas of health! Visualize the “Circle of Health” again and begin to look at the symptoms in the outer ring to get ideas about which of the inner core jewels may be improperly functioning for you.

The latest wave toward healthcare—the oral systemic link—is a huge example of just how intertwined our entire body is when it comes to stress and inflammation. Many of the above mentioned diseases are defined as CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. Many subtle signs and symptoms of inflammation can be seen inside the mouth.

Address the Stress

As we begin a new year, most of us make resolutions on things we can improve on. I recently published a book that I co-authored called Address the Stress that is a guide to the oral systemic link. We have focused 10 chapters with over 130 pages on just this and I would like to share some of it with you. I wish you a wonderful new year filled with health and happiness.
-Jill Wade, DDS, MAGD

Let's Address the Stress!
Do you feel exhausted, tired, stressed, and have no energy? If at one point in your life you felt like the life of the party, but now you hardly have enough energy to go to the party, you are not alone. Most people do not fully understand the important influence that long term stress has on your body and the interrelated role that our adrenal glands play in our everyday life. For as bad as you may feel right now, the good news is that with the proper testing, the right treatment, and rest, your stress can be reduced and your adrenals brought back to health. Soon you can begin to feel like your old self again!

“CIRCLE OF HEALTH” PHILOSOPHY
We believe your body and health act like a circle, rolling through life just fine until a piece or pieces of it begin to deteriorate. At that point the ride gets turbulent and the journey of life becomes harder on you. As things start to fall apart, you might find a temporary remedy with a prescription. But as more stressors surface in your life and as you get older, you will likely end up with a flat tire that is no longer able to be patched.

Look at all the health related issues that integrate together to form a complete “Circle of Health.”

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH STRESS?

Some of you may answer, “Not so well.” This may be true, but let’s look at how your body physically deals with stress. There are two adrenal glands that sit on the throne and rule our bodies. These glands are involved in regulating virtually every aspect of our bodily functions. Below is a list of all the body’s functions these glands play a role in regulating.

Adrenal Exhaustion & Failure
Alcohol Intolerance
Allergies & Sinus Problems
Anxiety
Blood Sugar Imbalances
Depression
Digestive Disorders
Diminished Sex Drive
Dizziness upon Standing
Dry & Thin Skin
Excessive Craving for Sweets
Fatigue
Food and/or Inhalant Allergies
Hair Loss
Headaches
Immune Deficiency
Inability to Concentrate
Indigestion
Infections (Parasitic, Bacterial, Fungal, or Viral)
Inflammation
Irritability
Liver, Thyroid or Pancreatic Disorders
Low Blood Pressure
Low Body Temperature
Mood Swings
Pain in the Neck, Shoulders, & Back
Palpitations (Heart Fluttering)
Poor Memory
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Sleep Disorders
Weakness/Difficulty Building Muscle
Weight Gain/Loss

Here we see the regulation in action: