The Oral-Systemic Health Connection

How the Mouth and Body are Interrelated

The ADA (American Dental Association) and AMA (American Medical Association) Join Forces

Recently, the ADA and the AMA held a joint press release to address a serious health risk...oral infection and the relationship to systemic health. The relationship between dentists and physicians in the past has not been the best situation for patients. Dentists and physicians should be working together for the health of their patients. The AMA is going to be a part of the ADA's national campaign to educate the public about the relationship between oral health and overall health.

"Oral health conditions and other health conditions are more closely related than many may once have thought," Dr. Bramson said, "and viewing them as separate matters no longer makes sense."

The conference, "Oral and Systemic Health: Exploring the Connection," addressed periodontal inflammation; diabetes and periodontal disease; oral infections and cardiovascular risk factors; and pregnancy risks and periodontal disease.
Toward a longer healthier life.

While we can’t hope to live forever, a key to a longer, healthier life is to prevent the pre-mature onset of the major threats to a healthy happy life: heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and lung diseases, to name a few. We are now learning that in addition to good nutrition and exercise, keeping your mouth healthy is a vital factor in the equation.
The Oral-Systemic Connection

The mouth is the gateway to the body. We rely on it for daily nutrition and life support, communication, and even expressing our love. Veterinarians will look first into “the horse’s mouth” to assess the overall health of the animal, and over 80 years ago Dr. Charles Mayo, founder of the famed Mayo Clinic, noted that people who keep their teeth live an average of ten years longer than those who lose them. We all know that a tooth infection, or abscess, can affect other parts of the body, and those with heart conditions, or who are about to have heart surgery are treated first with antibiotics before any dentistry is done so that the bacteria from the mouth does not travel through the bloodstream to damage the heart. Because of the fact that the bloodstream is a two-way street, the new factor emerging as most significant to total health.