Aug 23rd, 2007 by Jean Dale
Keeping dental health in check greatly improves overall physical health and can even help patients to avoid serious health conditions. Gum disease and long-lasting dental infections can diminish overall systemic health. The body is negatively affected by infection of any kind, regardless of where it is located. Of course, the more serious the infection, and the longer it is present, the greater its potential.
Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, Beverly Hills dentist, stresses that infection can also seriously traumatize the immune system. “Failure to handle dental infection can also diminish the body’s ability to deal with other infections and diseases. Its effect on the immune system is directly related to the extent, type, and duration of the infection.â€
Of course, there are troubles with abscesses near the root that create the need for root canals and times when the disease is such to create cavitations (cavities) of the jaw. But the most severe issue is the damage that can occur to overall health from advanced stages of gum disease. If unhandled, then the underlying bone structure can become a target for bacteria and it will continue to destroy more bone and soft tissue.
The result is that the circulatory system will then be constantly exposed to numerous strains of virulent bacteria and their toxins. The extent of infection in a common form of gum disease is such that if it were in any other area of the body, a medical doctor would handle this as a serious infection and insist on immediate treatment. Clearly gum infection is often left untreated, and if patients really understood the extent of the disease they would most likely feel differently.
Dr. Maddahi explains, “I have read that the infected area in a mild form of gum disease, if laid out flat, would cover an area the size of a postcard. In the case of moderate-to-severe gum disease, the total infected area could cover an area the size of a standard sheet of paper. Yet, this condition is present, and left untreated, in tens of millions of people in the U.S. alone. The extent and severity of an infection is, of course, important, but so is its duration. In the aforementioned example, such an infection is now chronic and would be active 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, for as long as the periodontal disease was present. Remember that it is a progressive disease, increasing in severity over time. It is easy to imagine the stress this type of infection places on the immune system.â€
The most serious harm to overall health results from the most advanced gum disease. Gum disease and long-lasting dental infections can diminish overall systemic health. This is why bi-annual checkups and vigilant dental hygiene is vital to overall health.Â
Beverly Hills dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, has been specializing in creating beautiful, natural smiles for 20 years and can be found on the world wide web at www.DrMaddahi.com. He is located in
Beverly Hills at 436 N. Roxbury Drive, Suite 202 and can be reached at 310-888-7797. He can be contacted via email at info@DrMaddahi.com.
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