Bogota Dental Center
85 East Main Street
Bogota, NJ 07603
888-505-1145

Dental Health

There are two major components to dental health. One component involves the teeth, which literally speaking, is what dental health is referring to and one involves the gums, also known as peridontal health. The health of one determines the health of the other. As a prominent NJ Dentist, Dr. Sultan Sherzoy would like to formulate a comprehensive dental health care plan custom tailored to meet your specific needs.

Tooth decay, the obvious sign of poor dental health, is a result of two different kinds of bacteria, known as Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. These two bacteria form what is commonly known as plaque. They feed upon the food that gets caught in the teeth, and produce an acid that eats away at the hard structures of the teeth. Proper dental hygiene removes the food and some of the bacteria, preventing the build up of the acids.

Tartar is the hardened form of plaque. Tartar makes a good surface for more plaque to grow, which is bad for both the teeth and the gums. Tartar and plaque beneath the gum line can cause the gums to become more irritated. Badly irritated gums become loosened from the teeth, leaving more spaces for food and plaque to accumulate. This increases the risk that the tooth will decay.

Gum health is very important to health of the rest of your body. There are many links between gum disease and other health problems, many of which are not fully understood yet. Research on the subject continues, but what we are sure of is that healthy teeth and gums means a healthier you, inside and out.

Gum disease, also known as peridontitis, has been linked to many diseases, such as diabetes, stroke, heart valve complications, complications in pregnancy, Bacterial pneumonia, and Osteoporosis.

Gum disease has been linked to type 2 diabetes. Diabetics have high levels of sugar in their blood on a regular basis. Sometimes, even with treatment, it can be difficult for people with this disease to keep their blood sugar levels down. Gum disease makes this even more difficult. Gum disease causes inflammation, a result of infection, and that increases blood sugar levels by making insulin less effective. This makes this type of diabetes more difficult to control. This means that the type 2 (insulin resistant) diabetic with dental health issues, particularly gum disease are more susceptible to the various complications that result from uncontrolled diabetes. The research shows that returning to good dental health can help a Type 2 diabetic to decrease his blood sugar. It has not been proven, but it is suspected that good dental health may also help a Type 1 diabetic.

The chronic inflammation that gum disease causes also affects heart health, and can be related to risk for Stroke. People with heart valve problems are even more at risk. Pregnant women with gum disease are at increased risk of having a low birth weight baby and infants developing early tooth decay. Risk of bacterial pneumonia and osteoporosis are also related to gum disease.

All of these diseases, and more, include gum disease as one of their risk factors, meaning it likely has a hand in causing or worsening their disease. Good dental health is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to combat these health risks.