Periodontal disease and chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation is the big buzz in medicine now, and is considered by researchers to be the fundamental problem behind many Western diseases.

by Nicholas Meyer — 

Periodontal disease is a slow but progressive, chronic inflammatory disease. This complex disease process takes place in the presence of bacterial byproducts and a weakened host resistance.

Chronic inflammation is the big buzz in medicine now, and is considered by researchers to be the fundamental problem behind many Western diseases. The explosion of research taking place in laboratories around the country is phenomenal. The prior marker of heart disease and cholesterol has essentially been replaced by C Reactive Protein (CRP).

This chemical marker is formed in the liver as a result of a chemical cascade set in motion by the inflammatory process. Research, being carried out by dentists who use nutriceuticals to treat periodontal disease, has shown that the CRP can be reduced through these relatively simple steps.

Imagine CRP, a product within the inflammatory cycle and associated with the likes of stroke, diabetes, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, being mitigated by good gum health and the boosting of one’s nutritional intake of certain nutriceuticals. The possibility for improving the well-being of millions of people is well within reach of the current healthcare system.

The cost of individually treating these diseases is staggering on a per-person basis. Our country can no longer afford such a sickness-based system of healthcare. What are you willing to do to heal yourself?

Nicholas Meyer, D.D.S., is a general dentist in Scottsdale, Ariz. He has a special interest in the functional aspects of the oral cavity that contribute to such maladies as TMJ, snoring and sleep apnea. He also studies the ways materials commonly used in dentistry affect the body. 480-948-0560 or www.milldental.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 25, Number 3, June/July 2006.