How Oral Bacteria Influences Your Dental Health Longevity

Dr. Jamie J. Alexander, a local Boynton Beach, Florida dentist, reminds everyone, who wants to stay healthy and live a long life, to have their teeth cleaned and their oral health evaluated at least every six months.

“For the last two decades, the negative effect of certain oral bacteria on systemic health has been documented in thousands of studies. Findings indicate the impact on your health, quality of life, and how long you can expect to live could be significant,” says Dr. Alexander. “There is a high correlation between certain oral bacteria and diseases of the body, indicating these bacteria, once in your bloodstream, can tip the balance from good health to poor health, as they heighten the risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic disorders, dementia and accelerating cancer growth. If you have any gum inflammation going on, you are at definite risk of this happening.”

Dr. Alexander is an avowed “comprehensive” dentist. He is interested in his patients as individuals and wants to assure everything is being done to keep them healthy. A beautiful smile is based on healthy teeth and gum tissue. If you have had or desire cosmetic dentistry to improve the aesthetics of your smile, you understand that pink, firm gum tissue is not only beautiful but a sign of health.
Recently reported studies in medicine and dentistry from around the world are summarized in www.sciencedaily.com. This is easy reading for laypeople, and there are two recent articles of relevance.

Oral Bacteria can Lead to Other Issues

A common type of oral bacteria accelerates the growth of colon cancer.

Researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine have determined how F. nucleatum– a common oral bacteria found in dental plaque and a cause of tooth decay accelerates the growth of colon cancer. This finding matters because it explains why some colon cancer cases advance far more quickly than others and points to the necessity of oral treatment to eliminate plaque when battling colon cancer. The findings will spur on new research to identify new treatment for cancer.

You can keep this bacterium at bay with regular dental cleanings performed in a dental office. Because colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., you do not want a large amount of the F. nucleatum bacterium colonizing on your teeth and in gum pockets should you get this cancer. The study found that the bacterium makes a molecule called “FadA adhesion,” which stimulates the growth of cancer cells in the colon. This has implications for other types of cancer as well. Read more.

A common type of oral bacteria raises your risk of having a stroke.

In 87 % of strokes, a blood clot originates in the carotid artery and travels to block cerebral circulation. The Journal of the American Heart Association recently published research showing 79% of the 75 stroke patients studied had blood clots containing a large amount of DNA from streptococcus viridans – a normal bacteria in the mouth. In your mouth, streptococci are harmless, but when entering circulation, they might cause infections of the cardiac valves. The streptococcus bacteria can directly bind to various platelet receptors, making you more prone to blood clots.
The implications of this research are simple. Good dental hygiene and regular dental cleanings are of great importance because untreated dental infections can cause serious brain damage or death due to a stroke. Read more.

Are You Due to have Your Teeth Cleaned and Your Mouth Examined?

If it’s been more than six months, you are overdue. This is because dental plaque builds up over a period of a few months even with good oral hygiene.
Clean your mouth after consuming sweet foods and beverages. Brush at least twice daily and floss or waterpik once a day. And, don’t forget to regularly see a dentist.
Dr. Jamie J. Alexander welcomes new patients and is conveniently located for residents of and visitors to the Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, and Delray Beach area.