Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain by Bradley Bale

Author:Bradley Bale [Bradley Bale, MD and Amy Doneen, DNP with Lisa Collier Cool]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2022-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Step 4. Get a dental cleaning at least twice a year or as advised by your dental provider.

Doing so could save your life! In the study of older adults, those who hadn’t seen a dentist in the previous year had a 50 percent higher death rate than those who went multiple times a year. “One of our goals is to keep all of our patients in what I call the safety zone, as opposed to the danger zone where gum disease and high-risk bacteria create a perfect storm of inflammatory responses that leave people susceptible to heart attacks and strokes,” says Duval.

To stay in the safety zone, it’s crucial to get dental checkups and any necessary treatments on the schedule advised by your dental provider. If you have gum disease, treatments include nonsurgical periodontal therapy, a daily program of self-care to follow at home, prescription mouthwashes, dental trays with antibacterial gel (Perio Protect), and in some cases, a short course of antibiotics. Regardless of which treatment is prescribed, the DNA testing should be repeated to make sure the treatment was successful, says Dr. Thompson. “Unlike gingivitis, which can be reversed, periodontitis is not curable, but with the right treatment, it can be halted and stabilized to prevent further damage, usually with three to six months of active treatment, followed by maintenance care to keep the disease from reactivating.”

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