Mouth Bacteria
By Dr. Linda Niessen -- Baylor College of Dentistry STORY: MOUTH BUGS SCRIPT #490 SHOOT:12/10/02 AIRDATE: Monday, Dec. 16, 2002 DHC Master #17 Timecode: 10:35 The study mentioned in this story was published in the November 2002 American Journal of Public Health. Title: The Relationship between Periodontal Disease Attributes and Helicobacter pylori Infection Among Adults in the U.S. Chief Author: Dr. Bruce Dye
Monday, December 16, 2002
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Every time you brush or floss your teeth, you remove plaque that contains harmful bacteria, bacteria that have been linked to heart disease, premature birth in pregnant women, and diabetes.
The latest discovery links gum disease to H. pylori. That's the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. H. pylori can live and grow deep inside the pockets of your gum tissue. Researchers found that a third of the patients studied with pockets deeper than 5 MILLIMETERS harbored helicobacter pylori or H. pylori.
"People who've got deeper periodontal pockets just provide an environment for this bacterium to be harbored, and multiply and to grow," says periodontist Dr. Farhad Boltchi.
It's the environment created by deep pockets that worries us most in periodontal patients like Sharon Menix. Sharon has a heart condition. She takes antibiotics before dental procedures to control infection.
"So that is a concern and of course a concern is losing my teeth."
Your dentist can check for deep pockets by using a perio probe. A depth over 5 or 6 means you may have the perfect environment for growing lots of harmful bacteria, also called a biofilm.
Dr. Boltchi says, "The biofilm is the main issue these days because the biofilm basically protects those bacteria."
So don't delay dental treatment for gum disease. It could lead to more serious health problems in the future. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen.
Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.
