Gum disease is another enemy
Scientists are only beginning to understand the mechanisms of the human body, including how microscopic interaction between cells produces a variety of outcomes.
It has been widely understood that the body is an elaborate network of cause and effect, and that living healthy generally through diet, exercise and oral care may have direct benefits for other parts of the body. But understanding how that benefit occurs and the strength of the relationship is often still a mystery for researchers to discover.
A recently published study may have found one of these links, and the findings suggest that the health of your gums may directly impact the health of your body and immune system.
A study recently published in the scientific journal Cell Host and Microbe outlines how the bacterial cells responsible for gum disease, or periodontitus, may create a vicious cycle that weakens your immune system and fosters the growth of harmful bacteria.
In this study, researchers discovered that the body’s natural composition of bacteria cells to healthy human cells was upset by the gum bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis. This harmful bacteria involved in gum disease actually seemed to block immune cells from killing harmful bacteria (a critical process in the stomach and colon) while simultaneously allowing the unimpeded growth of gum bacteria from flourishing. The growth of the gum bacteria generally leads to inflammation and bone loss, which further produces byproducts that amplify the growth of gum bacteria.
This multi-fold effect may have a direct relationship between advanced or long-term gum disease and creating a platform for irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer and more.
Our team at Eureka Dental already works to guide you to both a perfect smile and complete oral health. But understanding the science of how your oral health impacts your body is something we all should remember.
Source: medicalnewstoday.com