Health

The right dental care

2 years ago
by Crystal Waston MD

Of course we know that bacteria damage teeth. We don’t think about rheumatism and premature births. But should we: New studies show how closely connected the jaw and the body are

The job is tough and they have to struggle through a lifetime, literally. In 75 years we will grind more than 150,000 meals and an estimated 25 tons of food with our teeth. But they are much more than mere chewing tools. Together with the jaws, tongue, gums, mucous membranes and saliva, they form a highly complex system that often decides whether we stay healthy or get sick.

But very few people know that and – more importantly! – maintain it accordingly. However, it is also difficult for laypeople to imagine that pain in the joints, an agonizing whistling sound in the ear or constantly flaring inflammations could have something to do with the teeth. They are even less likely to believe this when they have problems with their blood vessels, kidneys or liver.

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ADDRESSES & TIPS

www.gzm.org The International Society for Holistic Dentistry offers extensive information on its website. You can search for doctors and therapists in your area by postcode

This is where you can find everything you currently want to know about teeth and dentures. Great: the CMD self-check

In fact, researchers are constantly finding new evidence that oral health has a significant impact on our overall well-being and quality of life. “Substantial and sometimes life-threatening diseases such as a heart attack or stroke can develop from a misalignment of the jaw, intolerance to filling material or an abscessed tooth,” warns dentist Dr. Wolfgang H. Koch, Deputy Chairman of the International Society for Holistic Dentistry (GZM) in Mannheim.

Bacteria travel throughout the body through the blood

Bacteria travel from the mouth to the entire body via the blood

The focus of science is above all periodontitis, a chronic inflammation of the gums, often incorrectly called periodontosis. About half of all Germans suffer from it. It is triggered by different bacteria; unnoticed, they spread further from the gumline until they reach the deeper-lying tooth roots.

The fatal thing is that the periodontitis bacteria get into the bloodstream via the smallest injuries caused by brushing and cleaning your teeth and migrate through the entire body, where they preferentially attack two organs: the pancreas and the heart. Researchers do not yet know why this is so. So far, the scientists are narrowing down the main targets of the bacteria and are always discovering new, unexpected connections. For example, gynecologists from the University of South Carolina/USA found out during examinations of premature babies that germs from the oral cavity settle in the uterus and presumably stimulate the production of labor-inducing hormones there. The study also shows that women whose children were born prematurely were seven times more likely to suffer from periodontitis.

Oral germs are even suspected of causing cancer

The vasoconstrictive properties of the bacteria are particularly dangerous. “The germs attach themselves to the inner walls of the blood vessels, roughen them up and can thus significantly increase the risk of heart attack,” explains expert Koch.

How exactly these processes work microbiologically is to be clarified in a study currently underway at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, for which patients with problems with the coronary vessels are being examined. One thing is already certain: chronically inflamed gums increase the risk of a stroke, as researchers from Heidelberg and Würzburg found out. Kidney and liver damage, rheumatic diseases, type 2 diabetes and even cancer are also associated with periodontitis.

The around 600 different types of microorganisms known to date that live in our mouths do not initially appear as evil destroyers. Most of the bacteria that cavort here even support the defense and protective effect of the mucous membranes. Only when they multiply too much do the tiny organisms become dangerous. The most common reason: poor dental care. Then at some point the neutralizing enzymes and minerals in the saliva can no longer do anything on their own. Plaque turns into a veritable breeding ground for even more germs. They form acids, metabolic products and cell toxins that eat away at the enamel and attack the gums.

Regular tooth brushing and good prophylaxis are the be-all and end-all

In order to prevent this from the outset, correct and regular dental care plays a decisive role. Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day. The following applies: scrubbing is out! Place the brush at about a 45-degree angle on the gumline and shake gently. Then smooth out the loosened deposits with gentle pressure from the gums in the direction of the teeth.

You should brush carefully, especially in the evening, because the body produces less saliva at night and the teeth are almost defenseless against possible attacks. Particularly important in prophylaxis: hands off nicotine! “Smoking increases the risk of developing periodontitis many times over,” says dentist and physicist Prof. Dr. Franz Sander from Ulm. Because the toxic smoke impairs blood circulation and significantly weakens the defenses of the gums and oral mucosa.

“Have a dental check-up every six months to eliminate damage as early as possible,” advises Prof. Sander. In the same rhythm, he recommends professional teeth cleaning, in which the tooth necks and gum pockets are checked and cleaned. Gentle laser and ultrasound procedures are now being used in more and more practices, and the often unpleasant scraper has had its day. Anyone suffering from advanced periodontitis is also treated with antibiotics and individual immunotherapy to keep the bacteria in check. If a tooth threatens to fall out, pronounced gum pockets must be surgically reduced in the worst case.

Even the smallest misalignment of the teeth can cause pain

But even the best oral hygiene sometimes doesn’t help. Then it’s not so much the cleanliness but the mechanics. While we nibble peanuts, chew meat or bite into an apple, enormous forces are at work in the jaw joints and on the teeth. Even the smallest malposition can lead to tension in the whole body, as studies by the German Society for Orthodontics in Giessen show. For example, the masticatory muscles are closely connected to the spine. Even tiny bumps, such as those caused by fillings, or minimal tooth displacements often cause chronic problems.

Almost every third patient with ringing in the ears has incorrectly loaded jaws

Dentists and orthodontists then speak of craniomandibular dysfunction, or CMD for short. Epidemiologists assume that around eight percent of the population, i.e. more than six million Germans, suffer from it. They have ear, head or neck pain, dizzy spells, pain in the face, can hardly turn their head – and have no idea that their teeth are behind it. A crooked bite can even lead to problems with the Achilles tendon or muscle hardening. And in almost every third tinnitus patient, ENT doctors at the University of Greifswald also found improperly loaded jaw joints in a recent study.

Finding out where something no longer fits or is pressing too hard requires real detective work. The most important indicators: it is difficult to open your mouth wide, the jaw joints crack audibly, the person concerned grinds their teeth at night. With such symptoms, it is high time for a dentist appointment. “Thanks to computer-assisted examination methods and magnetic resonance imaging, it is now possible to diagnose such jaw problems much more precisely,” says Prof. Sander. In most cases, there are cartilage displacements, a so-called bite depression or tooth fillings that are too high. However, the reverse case also occurs: those affected initially have physical, mostly orthopedic complaints (e.g. a tilted pelvis), which ultimately also strains the jaws and teeth.

Accordingly, the treatment of CMD must start at several points. The jaw joints are initially relieved with bite splints. If necessary, the doctor gently corrects incorrectly placed fillings and poorly fitting dentures. Jaw misalignments often lead to muscle tension, which can be relieved as part of physiotherapy. Medication or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used to relieve TMD pain and prevent it from becoming chronic. All in all, a new medical discipline has developed that is intensively trying to understand the connections between the jaw and the body even more precisely – so that not only the teeth remain healthy.