It seems as of late, the mouth has finally been recognized as part of the human body. Many studies confirm what we as dentists have known for years that oral health is a vital component of overall health. However, historically dentistry has been separate and apart from medicine, and oral health was thought of by many only in the context of fixing, removing and
replacing teeth. This view began to change with the new millennium when Dr. David Satcher released Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. This report stressed that oral health means more than healthy teeth, and oral health is important to general health.
As a dentist, I have known since the early stages of my training that systemic diseases can have significant implications for oral health. The converse is also true, oral conditions can have implications for systemic conditions. For example, diabetic patients will often present with more advanced periodontal disease than patients without diabetes. Furthermore, patients with certain heart conditions can develop serious infections after dental treatment if not protected with antibiotics. However some of the recent studies have even surprised those of us who have practiced dentistry since big hair was a good thing.
One condition that has had a lot of attention recently is preterm labor and delivery. Studies have shown that pregnant women with periodontal disease were more likely to deliver pre-term babies than those women who were in good periodontal health. As with many

inflammatory conditions, periodontal disease brings about the production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals which help begin and sustain the process of labor. It is amazing to think that preventive dental care for an expectant mom could help to eliminate a lifetime of health problems for her baby.
Many patients are unaware that the early symptoms of many diseases are oral in nature. Your dentist may be the first health care provider to discover a condition such as diabetes. Poor healing, oral yeast infections
and gingivitis are all symptoms of diabetes. These symptoms may go unnoticed without a dental exam, and the referral for treatment may be delayed. Other diseases such as leukemia and even measles may be discovered first by a dentist due to oral symptoms such as bleeding gums or other types of inflammation.
If everything I have mentioned up until now does not convince you of the importance of good oral health, the connection between oral health and cardiovascular disease should. According to the American Heart
Association, in 2003, 37.3 percent of all deaths were due to cardiovascular disease. This represents 1 of every 2.7 deaths. With this statistic in mind, we should all pay attention to recent studies which link periodontal disease to cardiovascular disease. One study presented at the World’s 24th Congress of cardiology meeting found that 77% of heart transplant patients had gum disease while only 13% of healthy patients suffered from the gum infection. These studies theorize that diseased gums may release inflammatory
components into the bloodstream which can travel to the heart and cause damage.
Once again, your mom was right. Now you have more of a reason than ever to brush and floss and visit your dentist twice each year. You will not only keep those pearly whites shining, you may also save your life!