Gum Disease Can Kill
This article was featured in the Manitoba Post as part of a series on Lowering Your Risk of Cancer
Inflammation is linked to just about every health concern including arthritis, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. Inflammation isn’t always a bad thing, however. When it lasts for a short period of time (up to a few days), the inflammatory process helps the body recover from injury or infection, and dissipates once healing is underway. This acute inflammation stage is a normal and positive process. It's chronic, continuous inflammation that is the cause of so many health problems. Chronic inflammation is associated with accelerated aging (sometimes called inflammaging), which is connected to many age-related diseases including type II diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer.
The Importance of a Good Oral Health Routine
One of the most common causes of chronic inflammation is gum disease. In the United States, 47.2% of adults over 30 have some form of it. It’s more common in men than women, and the prevalence increases with age: 70% of men over 65 have some form of gum disease.
If your teeth bleed when you brush, this can be caused by excessive plaque build-up which triggers inflammation. Plaque is the sticky layer of bacteria that accumulates on the teeth, especially along and below the gum line (subgingival). Proper oral care can remove the plaque that causes gingivitis (the technical term for inflammation of the gums and the first phase of gum disease). In addition to brushing and flossing, regular use of an oral irrigator, an interdental proxy brush, and a tongue cleaner can help restore red, bleeding, or inflamed gum tissue to pink, vibrant, healthy gums, as well as prevent gingivitis from progressing.
If gingivitis is left to progress without proper treatment, gum tissue may begin to pull away from the teeth, and pockets can develop where the teeth meet the gums. These spaces are a breeding ground for bacteria, which can progress to a condition called periodontitis, characterized by a loss of attachment between the tooth and bone. This can lead to further gum infection and result in chewing pain, sensitive teeth, receding gums, or even bone and tooth loss.
One of the clearest indicators of periodontitis is when you feel your teeth are loose and may fall out, but the proliferation of oral bacteria can also cause persistent bad breath. Periodontitis damages the soft tissue and bone that hold the teeth in place. This common condition affects over 11% of the world's population.
Research has found that periodontitis is associated with cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and diabetes. Severe periodontitis is linked to a 24% increase in the risk of cancer. Recent research at Tufts University found a strong association between the oral bacteria F. nucleatum (associated with periodontitis) and Alzheimer’s disease.
Fortunately, there are some excellent dental mouthwashes including Peri-Gum that can help heal gum tissue while reducing the pockets that harbor harmful bacteria. Proper brushing combined with regular use of an interdental proxy brush and an oral irrigator like the Hydro Floss can reduce dental plaque, even below the gum line where bacteria thrives. Hydro Floss is clinically proven to remove 65% more subgingival plaque than similar products.
Probiotics
Most people are unaware of the tremendous overall health benefits of oral probiotics. This exciting new area of research is showing that their regular use can help reverse gingivitis and periodontitis by correcting imbalances in the oral microbiome. As with the gut microbiome, the oral cavity requires a balanced ecosystem where beneficial bacteria predominate. Poor oral hygiene and oral plaque increase levels of pathogenic oral bacteria like P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum and Treponema denticola. Probiotic antimicrobial peptides produced by lactic acid bacteria called bacteriocins can help treat gum disease by crowding out the bad strains that thrive on dental plaque.
Specific strains shown to be effective include S. Salivarius BLIS K12 and BLIS M18. By increasing levels of these beneficial oral bacteria, harmful bacteria growth is inhibited.
With daily use, BLIS K12 and BLIS M18 are proven to help reduce bad breath and can work to reverse gingivitis and plaque buildup associated with periodontitis. Improved oral health may also help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and heart disease. A study found that 100% of patients with cardiovascular disease had the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis in their arteries.
Oral probiotics can also help reduce ear, nose, and throat infections (including tonsillitis and strep throat). While originally indicated for oral cavity health, the BLIS K12 probiotic found in BLIS probiotic lozenges and in Theraneem tooth powder can also help reduce the occurrence and severity of secretory otitis media (infection or inflammation in the middle ear), a major cause of ear pain, tonsillitis, and scarlet fever in children.
Gingivitis and Alzheimer's Disease
Knowing that Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients exhibit neuroinflammation which is usually associated with infection, researchers analyzed the brains of AD patients to determine the cause. In 2019, a landmark study published in Science Advances found that P. gingivalis (the primary pathogen in chronic periodontitis) results in the production of toxic proteins from the bacterium gingipains that are found in the brains of over 90% of AD patients. Research continues into drugs that block gingipains, potentially leading to treatments that could prevent symptoms or slow the progression of AD.
I recommend a comprehensive suite of oral care products including the 30 Second Smile electric toothbrush (or the Collis Curve if you prefer a manual design), an oral water irrigator, the Clean Between Machine (or similar devices for removing interdental plaque), flossing, regular use of the BLIS K12 or BLIS M18 oral probiotics, and tooth powders including Theraneem and Good Gums. I combine these tooth powders, as Theraneem contains the herb neem (known to help heal gum tissue), and the oral probiotic BLIS K12, while Good Gums contains myrrh, cranberry, French grey sea salt, and sodium bicarbonate. When combined, these tooth powders provide powerful gum healing properties.
C-Reactive Protein
Many studies have found a strong association between chronic periodontitis and high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). Produced by the liver, CRP is considered a specific marker indicating inflammation in the body and can be measured by a blood test (any acute or chronic infection results in elevated levels). High CRP levels are associated with cancer, as inflammation may facilitate the progression of tumors and angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels to support cancer cell growth). Surgical and non-surgical periodontal treatments have been shown to reduce levels of CRP which may lower the risk of various cancers. For nutritional support, vitamin E, magnesium, curcumin, omega-3, folate, high fibre foods, and berries can all help to lower CRP levels.
Research from Finland has found a link between gum disease and different types of cancer, and that the oral bacterium Treponema denticola may be responsible for gastrointestinal cancers. As published in the International Journal of Cancer, an analysis of almost 70,000 adults over ten years found a strong association between gum disease and pancreatic cancer. In another study at NYU Langone Health's Perlmutter Cancer Center, after controlling for potential effects from smoking, alcohol, and body mass index, researchers found that three types of oral bacteria are linked to two fatal forms of esophageal cancer. There is also evidence that specific types of oral microbiota that cause gum disease are associated with head and neck cancer.
See your dentist regularly, have frequent cleanings, and implement an oral care routine to help balance your oral microbiome. You should clean your teeth in the proper order, starting with flossing (use small floss picks or regular floss), followed by brushing, an interdental brush, and an electric oral water irrigator like the Hydro Floss (proven to remove subgingival plaque). I also recommend combining the tooth powders Good Gums and Theraneem.
A comprehensive oral care routine, and using healing mouthwashes and oral probiotics can help prevent or even reverse gum disease, lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Health Disclaimer. Copyright ©2019-2022. First published in February 2019, last major revision in July 2022. Nathan Zassman is a trained nutrition practitioner and the owner of Aviva Natural Health Solutions.
References
Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010. CDC & Journal of Dental Research. August 2012. PMID: 22935673.
Prevalence of periodontal disease, its association with systemic diseases and prevention. Muhammad Ashraf Nazir. International Journal of Health Sciences (Qassim). 2017 Apr-Jun. PMID: 28539867.
The Periodontal Pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum Exacerbates Alzheimer’s Pathogenesis via Specific Pathways. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 23 June 2022.
The Effect of Oral Irrigation with a Magnetic Water Treatment Device on Plaque
and Calculus. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 1993.
Porphyromonas gingivalis is the most abundant species detected in coronary and femoral arteries. Journal of Oral Microbiology. 2017. PMID: 28326156.
Porphyromonas gingivalis in Alzheimer's disease brains: Evidence for disease causation and treatment with small-molecule inhibitors. Science Advances. 2019 Jan. PMID: 30746447.
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Cancer. Journal of Epidemiology. 2011. PMID: 21368452.
A Review of the Relationship between Tooth Loss, Periodontal Disease, and Cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 2008 Nov. PMID: 18478344.
The role of Tannerella forsythia and Porphyromonas gingivalis in pathogenesis of esophageal cancer. Infectious Agents and Cancer. 2019. PMID: 30728854.
Beyond Head and Neck Cancer: The Relationship Between Oral Microbiota and Tumour Development in Distant Organs. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2019. PMID: 31297343.