Free2beme, a frightening statistic I found is that nearly 75 percent of Americans have some form or degree of periodontal disease and many of us don't know it. The bacteria Coach Virginia wrote about can also contribute to the development of oral cancer, diabetes, respiratory problems and premature babies.
A page from the American Dental Hygienists' Association gives the following information:
Oral cancer: Each year there are nearly 30,000 new cases and nearly 9,000 die from the disease. It is more common than leukemia, melanoma, Hodgkin's disease and cancers of the brain, thyroid, liver, stomach, cervix and ovaries. Treated early, it can be curable.
Heart disease: More people are victims of heart disease than all forms of cancer and AIDS combined, the site says. More than 58 million Americans are affected each year, and a million die.
Diabetes: As many as 16 million people in the United States have diabetes, yet as many as half may not be aware of it. About 95 percent of those with diabetes also have periodontal disease, partly because they are more susceptible to infection.
Respiratory ailments: These can be aggravated when bacteria travels from the mouth to the lungs and sets up camp there.
These are just some of the things the page talks about. I have to admit that while I knew there was a connection between bacteria in the mouth and the health of our organs and body systems, I had absolutely no idea how wide-ranging the effects can be. I will be much more faithful to my dental cleaning schedule from now on, and I'm definitely getting the dental floss back into my daily routine!
Here's a pdf file that goes into detail on all of the above and much more:
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Free2beme, a frightening statistic I found is that nearly 75 percent of Americans have some form or degree of periodontal disease and many of us don't know it. The bacteria Coach Virginia wrote about can also contribute to the development of oral cancer, diabetes, respiratory problems and premature babies.
A page from the American Dental Hygienists' Association gives the following information:
Oral cancer: Each year there are nearly 30,000 new cases and nearly 9,000 die from the disease. It is more common than leukemia, melanoma, Hodgkin's disease and cancers of the brain, thyroid, liver, stomach, cervix and ovaries. Treated early, it can be curable.
Heart disease: More people are victims of heart disease than all forms of cancer and AIDS combined, the site says. More than 58 million Americans are affected each year, and a million die.
Diabetes: As many as 16 million people in the United States have diabetes, yet as many as half may not be aware of it. About 95 percent of those with diabetes also have periodontal disease, partly because they are more susceptible to infection.
Respiratory ailments: These can be aggravated when bacteria travels from the mouth to the lungs and sets up camp there.
These are just some of the things the page talks about. I have to admit that while I knew there was a connection between bacteria in the mouth and the health of our organs and body systems, I had absolutely no idea how wide-ranging the effects can be. I will be much more faithful to my dental cleaning schedule from now on, and I'm definitely getting the dental floss back into my daily routine!
Here's a pdf file that goes into detail on all of the above and much more:
http://www.adha.org/downloads/2001_NDHM_poster.pdf
November 21, 2008 - 8:23amThis Comment
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