Serious health problems linked to gum disease

By MARTIN JOHNSTON

Links between bad gums and heart disease will be put under the microscope at a conference of dental health workers next weekend.

Around 250 New Zealand and overseas delegates are expected to attend the periodontics conference in Auckland.

Periodontics is the branch of dentistry concerned with treating diseases of the tissue and bone structures around the teeth caused by the build up of bacterial plaque.

Nearly 90 per cent of people have some degree of gum inflammation (gingivitis), and up to 10 per cent have periodontal disease which, untreated, is the main cause of tooth loss in adults.

Associate Professor Angela Pack, head of periodontology at Otago University, said the risk of suffering heart disease or stroke was three times higher for people with severe periodontal disease than without.

The reason for the association is not clear. It is thought that chemicals from the ulcers caused by periodontal disease may add to the fatty deposits on artery walls that can cause heart attacks and strokes.

Professor Pack said full-blown periodontitis - disruption of tissue around every tooth - produced hidden ulcers equivalent in area to the palm of one hand.

"That is a mighty big ulcer and an ulcer of inflammation of that size creates a lot of disruption to the body.

"If you had an ulcer that size on your arm or leg you would be really quite terrified about it."

She said researchers had also found associations between periodontal disease and two other serious health problems: the birth of premature, underweight babies and control of diabetes. People with diabetes were also more likely to develop severe periodontal disease.

Periodontal treatment ranges from cleaning and scraping teeth through to plastic surgery on gums using skin grafts from the palate.

Some non-surgical treatment can be performed by dentists and dental hygienists. New Zealand has fewer than 20 periodontists.

Treatment costs range from $100 for simple procedures, to several thousand dollars for surgery or dental implants (artificial teeth).

The Government does not pay for periodontal surgery. The only option in the public system for people with severe periodontitis is to have teeth extracted.